Was the son of Peter I "unfit"? Tsarevich Alexei. Fatal love for a serf spy

Continued conflict

The young children of Alexei Petrovich were not the only replenishment in royal family. The ruler himself, following his unloved son, acquired another child. The child was named Pyotr Petrovich (his mother was the future). So suddenly Alexei ceased to be the sole heir of his father (now he had a second son and grandson). The situation put him in an ambiguous position.

In addition, such a character as Alexei Petrovich clearly did not fit into the life of the new St. Petersburg. A photo of his portraits shows a man a little sickly and indecisive. He continued to fulfill the state orders of his powerful father, although he did this with obvious reluctance, which again and again angered the autocrat.

While still studying in Germany, Alexei asked his Moscow friends to send him a new spiritual father, to whom he could frankly confess everything that bothered him. young man. The prince was deeply religious, but at the same time he was very afraid of his father's spies. However, the new confessor Yakov Ignatiev was indeed not one of Peter's henchmen. One day, Alexei told him in his hearts that he was waiting for the death of his father. Ignatiev replied that many Moscow friends of the heir wanted the same. So, quite unexpectedly, Alexei found supporters and embarked on a path that led him to death.

Difficult decision

In 1715, Peter sent a letter to his son, in which he confronted him with a choice - either Alexei corrects himself (that is, he begins to engage in the army and accepts his father's policy), or goes to the monastery. The heir was in a dead end. He did not like many of Peter's undertakings, including his endless military campaigns and cardinal changes in life in the country. This mood was shared by many aristocrats (mainly from Moscow). In the elite, there really was a rejection of hasty reforms, but no one dared to openly protest, since participation in any opposition could end in disgrace or execution.

The autocrat, having delivered an ultimatum to his son, gave him time to think over his decision. The biography of Alexei Petrovich has many similar ambiguous episodes, but this situation has become fateful. After consulting with those close to him (primarily with the head of the St. Petersburg Admiralty, Alexander Kikin), he decided to flee Russia.

Escape

In 1716, a delegation headed by Alexei Petrovich set off from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen. Peter's son was in Denmark to see his father. However, while in Gdansk, Poland, the prince suddenly changed his route and actually fled to Vienna. There Alexei began to negotiate for political asylum. The Austrians sent him to secluded Naples.

The plan of the fugitive was to wait for the death of the then sick Russian tsar, and after that to return to his native country to the throne, if necessary, then with a foreign army. Alexei spoke about this later during the investigation. However, these words cannot be accepted with certainty as the truth, since the necessary testimony was simply knocked out of the arrested person. According to the testimonies of the Austrians, the prince was in hysterics. Therefore, it is more likely that he went to Europe out of despair and fear for his future.

In Austria

Peter quickly found out where his son had fled. People loyal to the tsar immediately went to Austria. An experienced diplomat Pyotr Tolstoy was appointed head of an important mission. He reported to the Austrian Emperor Charles VI that the very fact of Alexei's presence in the land of the Habsburgs was a slap in the face of Russia. The fugitive chose Vienna because of his family ties to this monarch through his short marriage.

Perhaps, in other circumstances, he would have protected the exile, but at that time Austria was at war with Ottoman Empire and prepared for a conflict with Spain. The emperor did not want at all to receive such a powerful enemy as Peter I in such conditions. In addition, Alexei himself blundered. He acted in panic and was clearly unsure of himself. As a result, the Austrian authorities made concessions. Pyotr Tolstoy received the right to see the fugitive.

Negotiation

Pyotr Tolstoy, having met with Alexei, began to use all possible methods and tricks to return him to his homeland. Kind-hearted assurances were used that his father would forgive him and allow him to live freely on his own estate.

The envoy did not forget about clever hints. He convinced the prince that Charles VI, not wanting to spoil relations with Peter, would not hide him in any case, and then Alexei would definitely end up in Russia as a criminal. In the end, the prince agreed to return to his native country.

Court

On February 3, 1718, Peter and Alexei met in the Moscow Kremlin. The heir wept and begged for forgiveness. The king pretended that he would not be angry if his son renounced the throne and inheritance (which he did).

After that, the trial began. First, the fugitive betrayed all his supporters, who "persuaded" him to a rash act. Arrests and regular executions followed. Peter wanted to see his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina and the opposition clergy at the head of the conspiracy. However, the investigation found that the king was much dissatisfied large quantity of people.

Death

None short biography Alexei Petrovich does not contain accurate information about the circumstances of his death. As a result of the investigation, which was conducted by the same Peter Tolstoy, the fugitive was sentenced to death penalty. However, it never took place. Alexei died on June 26, 1718 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he was held during the trial. It was officially announced that he had a seizure. Perhaps the prince was killed on the secret orders of Peter, or perhaps he died himself, unable to endure the torture he experienced during the investigation. For an all-powerful monarch, the execution of his own son would be too shameful an event. Therefore, there is reason to believe that he instructed to deal with Alexei in advance. One way or another, but the descendants did not know the truth.

After the death of Alexei Petrovich, a classical point of view developed about the causes of the drama that had happened. It lies in the fact that the heir came under the influence of the old conservative Moscow nobility and the clergy hostile to the king. However, knowing all the circumstances of the conflict, one cannot call the prince a traitor and at the same time not bear in mind the degree of guilt of Peter I himself in the tragedy.

(1690-02-28 )
Preobrazhenskoe, Russian kingdom

Tsarevich Alexey Petrovich (Alexey Petrovich Romanov; February 18, Preobrazhenskoye - June 26 [July 7], St. Petersburg) - heir Russian throne, the eldest son of Peter I and his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina.

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Biography

Alexey Petrovich was born on February 18 (28), 1690 in Preobrazhensky. Baptized on February 23 (March 5), 1690, godparents - Patriarch Joachim and Princess Tatyana Mikhailovna. Name day on March 17, heavenly patron - Alexy, man of God. It was named after his grandfather, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

In the early years he lived in the care of his grandmother Natalia Kirillovna. At the age of six, he began to learn to read and write with Nikifor Vyazemsky, a simple and poorly educated man, whom he sometimes beat. In the same way, he tore the "honest brother of his guardian" confessor Yakov Ignatiev.

After being imprisoned in a monastery in 1698, his mother was transferred under the care of his aunt Natalya Alekseevna and transferred to her in the Preobrazhensky Palace. In 1699, Peter I remembered his son and wanted to send him along with General Karlovich to study in Dresden. However, due to the death of the general, the Saxon Neugebauer from the University of Leipzig was invited as a mentor. He failed to bind the prince to himself and in 1702 lost his position.

The following year, the place of educator was taken by Baron Huyssen. In 1708, N. Vyazemsky reported that the prince was studying the German and French languages, studying the “four parts of tsifiri”, repeating declensions and cases, writing an atlas and reading history. Continuing to live far away from his father, in Preobrazhenskoye, until 1709, the prince was surrounded by people who, in his own words, taught him to “be hypocrite and convert with priests and blacks and often go and drink to them.” Then, at the time of the Swedes’ advance into the interior of the continent, Peter instructs his son to monitor the training of recruits and the construction of fortifications in Moscow, but he remains dissatisfied with the result of his son’s work - the king was especially angry that during the work the prince went to the Suzdal monastery, where his mother was.

In 1707, Huissen proposed to Alexei Petrovich the 13-year-old at that time Princess Charlotte of Wolfenbüttel, the sister of the future Austrian Empress, as his wife. In 1709, accompanied by Alexander Golovkin and Prince Yuri Trubetskoy, he traveled to Dresden with the aim of teaching German and French, geometry, fortification and "political affairs". In the spring of 1710, in Slakenwert, he saw his bride, and a year later, on April 11, a marriage contract was signed. The wedding was magnificently celebrated on October 14, 1711 in Torgau.

In the marriage, the prince had children - Natalia (1714-1728) and Peter (1715-1730), later Emperor Peter II. Soon after the birth of her son, Charlotte died, and the prince chose a mistress from Vyazemsky's serfs, named Efrosinya, with whom he traveled to Europe and who was later interrogated in his case and was acquitted.

Escape abroad

The birth of a son and the death of Alexei's wife coincided with the birth of the long-awaited son of Peter the Great himself and his wife Catherine - Tsarevich Peter Petrovich. This shook the position of Alexei - he was no longer of interest to his father even as a forced heir. On the day of Charlotte's funeral, Peter handed a letter to his son, in which he scolded him for "not showing any inclination towards state affairs", and urged him to improve, otherwise threatening not only to remove him from the inheritance, but even worse: "if you marry, then be known that I will deprive you of your inheritance like a gangrenous ud, and don’t think to yourself that I’m only writing this out of passion - I’ll do it in truth, for for My Fatherland and people I didn’t regret my belly and don’t regret it, then how can I pity you indecently ". In 1716, as a result of a conflict with his father, who demanded that he decide as soon as possible on the issue of tonsure, Alexey, with the help of Kikin (the head of the St. in Copenhagen, but secretly fled from Gdansk to Vienna and conducted separate negotiations there with European rulers, including a relative of his wife, the Austrian Emperor Charles. To maintain secrecy, the Austrians transported Alexei to Naples. Alexei planned to wait for the death of Peter (who was seriously ill during this period) on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire and then, relying on the help of the Austrians, become the Russian Tsar.

According to his testimony during the investigation, he was ready to rely on the Austrian army to seize power. In turn, the Austrians planned to use Alexei as their puppet in the intervention against Russia, but abandoned their intention, considering such an enterprise too dangerous.

it is not impossible for us to achieve some success in the lands of the king himself, that is, to support any rebellions, but we actually know that this prince has neither sufficient courage nor sufficient intelligence to derive any real advantage or benefit from these [ uprisings]

The search for the prince did not bring success for a long time, perhaps for the reason that along with Kikin was A.P. Veselovsky, the Russian ambassador to the Vienna court, whom Peter I instructed to find Alexei. Finally, Russian intelligence tracked down the location of Alexei (Castle Erenberg in Tyrol), and the emperor was demanded to extradite the prince to Russia.

On May 6, 1717, Alexei moved to the Neapolitan castle of Sant'Elmo. Here he was found by Peter Tolstoy and Alexander Rumyantsev, sent by Peter.

The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire refused to extradite Alexei, but allowed P. Tolstoy to be admitted to him. The latter showed Alexei a letter from Peter, where the prince was guaranteed forgiveness of any guilt in the event of an immediate return to Russia.

If you are afraid of me, then I reassure you and promise you by God and His judgment that there will be no punishment for you, but I will show you better love if you obey my will and return. But if you don’t do this, then, ... like your sovereign, I declare for a traitor and I will not leave all the ways for you, like a traitor and scolder of your father, to do what God will help me in my truth.

From Peter's letter to Alexei

The letter, however, failed to force Alexei to return. Then Tolstoy bribed an Austrian official so that he “secretly” informed the prince that his extradition to Russia was a settled issue.

And then I exhorted the secretary of the viceroy, who was used in all transfers and the man is much smarter, so that, as if for a secret, he said to the prince all the above words, which I advised the viceroy to announce to the prince, and gave that secretary 160 gold chervonets, promising him to reward him in advance that this secretary did

From Tolstoy's report

This convinced Alexei that the calculations for Austrian aid were unreliable. Realizing that he would not receive help from Charles VI, and fearful of returning to Russia, Alexei, through the French officer Dure, secretly wrote a letter to the Swedish government asking for help. However, the answer given by the Swedes (the Swedes undertook to provide Alexei with an army to enthrone him) was late, and P. Tolstoy managed to get Alexei's consent to return to Russia by threats and promises on October 14 before he received a message from the Swedes.

The case of Tsarevich Alexei

After returning for a secret flight and activities during his stay abroad, Alexei was deprived of the right to the throne (manifesto on February 3 (14)   1718), and he himself took a solemn oath to renounce the throne in favor of brother Peter Petrovich in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin in the presence father, higher clergy and higher dignitaries. At the same time, forgiveness was announced to him on the condition of recognizing all the misdeeds committed (“Yesterday later, I received forgiveness on the fact that all the circumstances were conveyed to my escape and other things like that; and if something is hidden, then you will be deprived of your stomach; ... if you hide something and then obviously will be, don’t blame me: since yesterday, before all the people, it was announced that for this pardon not pardon”). The very next day after the abdication ceremony, an investigation began, entrusted to the Secret Chancellery and headed by Count Tolstoy. Alexey, in his testimony, tried to portray himself as a victim of his entourage and shift all the blame on his entourage. The people around him were executed, but this did not help Alexei - his mistress Efrosinya gave exhaustive testimony, exposing Alexei in a lie. In particular, it turned out that Alexei was ready to use the Austrian army to seize power and intended to lead a rebellion of Russian troops if the opportunity arose. It got to the point that hints of Alexei's attempts to contact Karl XII slipped through. At the confrontation, Aleksei confirmed Efrosinya's testimony, although he did not say anything about any real or imaginary ties with the Swedes. Now it is difficult to establish the full reliability of these testimonies. Although torture was not used at this stage of the investigation, Efrosinya could have been bribed, and Aleksei could give false testimony out of fear of torture. However, in cases where Efrosinya's testimony can be verified from independent sources, they are confirmed (for example, Efrosinya reported letters that Alexei wrote to Russia, preparing the ground for coming to power - one such letter (unsent) was found in the archives of Vienna).

Death

Based on the facts that surfaced, the prince was put on trial and condemned to death as a traitor. It should be noted that Aleksey's connections with the Swedes remained unknown to the court, and the guilty verdict was issued on the basis of other episodes, which, according to the laws in force at that time, were punishable by death.

There is evidence that Alexei was secretly killed in a prison cell on the orders of Peter, but they strongly contradict each other in details. Published in the 19th century with the participation of M. I. Semevsky “letter from A. I. Rumyantsev to D. I. Titov” (according to other sources, Tatishchev) describing the murder of Alexei is a proven fake; it contains a number of factual errors and anachronisms (which was pointed out by N. G. Ustryalov), and close to the text retells the official publications about the case of Alexei that had not yet been released.

In the media, you can find information that during his lifetime Alexei suffered from tuberculosis - according to a number of historians, the sudden death was the result of an exacerbation of the disease in prison conditions or the result of side effects medicines.

Alexei was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the fortress in the presence of his father. The posthumous rehabilitation of Alexei, the withdrawal from circulation of the manifestos condemning him and aimed at justifying Peter's actions of Feofan Prokopovich's "Truth of the Monarchs' Will" took place during the reign of his son Peter II (since 1727).

In culture

In literature

The personality of the prince attracted the attention of writers (beginning with Voltaire and Pushkin), and in the 19th century. and many historians.

• A. N. Tolstoy, "Peter the First" - the most famous novel about the life of Peter I, published in 1945 (Alexey is shown as a minor).
• D. Mordovtsev - novel "Shadow" of Herod. (Idealists and Realists)"
• D. S. Merezhkovsky - novel “Antichrist. Peter and Alexei »

In art

Alexei is depicted in the famous painting by N. N. Ge “Peter interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof” (1871).

Cinema

• In the feature film by Vladimir Petrov "Peter the First" (1937), the role of the prince with high dramatic skill was played by Nikolai Cherkasov. Here the image of Alexei Petrovich is interpreted in the spirit of official historiography as an image of a protege of obsolete forces within the country and hostile foreign powers, an enemy of Peter's reforms and the imperial power of Russia. His conviction and murder are presented as a just and necessary act, which served during the years of the film's creation as an indirect argument in favor of Stalinist repressions. At the same time, it is absurd to see the ten-year-old prince as the head of the boyar reaction by the time of the Battle of Narva. [ ]
• In the feature film by Vitaly Melnikov "Tsarevich Alexei" (1997), Alexei Petrovich is shown as a man who is ashamed of his crowned father and only wants to live ordinary life. At the same time, according to the filmmakers, he was a quiet and God-fearing person who did not want the death of Peter I and the change of power in Russia. But as a result of palace intrigues, he was slandered, for which he was tortured by his father, and his comrades were executed.

Why did Peter the Great kill his son? December 19th, 2017

We went through this in school. At first, of course, everyone knew that Ivan the Terrible killed his son, and only then did they remember that Peter the Great also killed. Or rather tortured to death.

And who remembers why?

The generally accepted explanation of the tragic fate of the prince is well known. It says that Alexei, who grew up in an atmosphere hostile to Peter and all his undertakings, fell under the pernicious influence of the reactionary clergy and the backward Moscow nobility. And when the father missed it, it was already too late, and all efforts to re-educate his son only led to the fact that he fled abroad. During the investigation, which began upon his return, it turned out that, together with a few henchmen, Alexei was impatiently awaiting the death of the king and was ready to destroy everything he had done. The court of senators and high dignitaries sentenced the guilty of treason to death, which became a kind of monument to the principles of Peter I.

Initially, not having a great desire to live the life that his father lived, by this time the prince was simply not able to overcome the abyss that deepened between them. He was weighed down by the current situation and, like any person who was not very strong in character, he was carried away by his thoughts to another reality where Peter did not exist. Waiting for the death of the father, even wishing for it - terrible sin! But when the deeply believing Alexei confessed to him in confession, he suddenly heard from his confessor Yakov Ignatiev: “God will forgive you, and we all wish him death.” It turned out that his personal, deeply intimate problem had another dimension: the formidable and unloved father was also an unpopular sovereign. Alexei himself automatically turned into an object of hopes and hopes of the dissatisfied. What seemed like a worthless life suddenly found some meaning!

The meeting of father and son took place on February 3, 1718 in the Kremlin Palace in the presence of the clergy and secular nobles. Alexei wept and repented, but Peter again promised him forgiveness on the condition of unconditional renunciation of the inheritance, full recognition and extradition of accomplices. The investigation actually began the very next day after the ceremonial reconciliation of the prince with his father and his solemn abdication from the throne. Later, the Secret Chancellery was created specifically to investigate the alleged conspiracy, headed by the same P. A. Tolstoy, whose career after the successful return of Alexei to Russia clearly took off.

The prince was tortured several times. Broken long before the physical torture, he did his best to save himself. Initially, Peter was inclined to lay the blame on Alexei’s mother, his closest advisers and the “bearded men” (clergy), but over the course of six months of the investigation, a picture of such a large-scale and deep dissatisfaction with his policies among the elite emerged that there could be no punishment for all the “defendants” in the case. speech. Then the tsar resorted to a standard move, making the suspects judges and thus placing on them a symbolic responsibility for the fate of the main accused. On June 24, the Supreme Court, which consisted of the highest dignitaries of the state, unanimously sentenced Alexei to death.

We will probably never know exactly how the prince died. His father was least of all interested in divulging the details of the unheard-of execution of his own son (and there is almost no doubt that it was just an execution).

Peter by nature was wild and unbridled like Ivan the Terrible. Peter's favorite pastime is torturing people. He spent hours in the dungeons torturing people with his own hands. Crushed and broke old life in Russia, carried out a reform of church government, issued a decree on compulsory military service for the nobility. He married a soldier Marta Skavronskaya, from whom he had three daughters - Elizabeth, Anna and Katerina, son Peter

Having married, he issues a decree that his children should be considered legitimate. Tsarevich Alexei was outraged by the marriage and the actions of his father with his living wife imprisoned in a monastery

Alexei himself was already married to the German princess Charlotte of Wolfenbüttel, who hated Russia. And everyone in the court hated her. The princess endured a lot from the drunken Catherine. Finally, she died in childbirth. They say that Catherine poisoned her.

This former soldier wanted to clear the way to the throne for her son. Tsarevich Alexei and his son Peter Alekseevich interfered with her.

After the violent death of his wife, Tsarevich Alexei sent his daughter to Germany so that Catherine would not do evil. The son stayed in Russia.

He did not miss his wife. For a long time he had a mistress, a serf girl, whom he bought from Prince Vyazemsky, his beloved courtier. Evfrosinya Fedorova, or, as she was called at court, the girl Afrosinya, was very good. Seeing that the German soldier had become a Russian queen, she decided that she could be arranged in the same way.

Alexey himself wanted to marry her. But Peter fell into a terrible rage. Marrying a German "girl" is nothing. But in Russian! What a disgrace! He wanted a new "alliance" abroad. One of the Austrian archduchesses agreed to become Alexei's wife.

Then Alexei fled with Euphrosyne abroad. He was hidden in Vienna, and meanwhile the Vienna government was negotiating with Peter on the extradition of the prince. Catherine and Menshikov worked with might and main to destroy the prince and all his entourage. Catherine wanted her “Shishechka”, her little son Petya, to become the heir to the throne.

Menshikov assured Peter that Tsarevich Alexei was preparing a conspiracy and wanted to take the throne from his father.
Tolstoy and Rumyantsev, the tsar's favorites, forced the Viennese government to extradite Alexei. The unfortunate prince was deceived that the king forgave him and allowed him to marry Euphrosyne. But Alex was already married to her. He was married by an Old Believer priest back in Russia. The prince went to Russia to meet terrible death. Peter was waiting for the prince in Moscow.

When Alexei was brought, the trial of his friends began.

Alexei was forced to publicly abdicate the throne, accusing him of conspiracy, an attempt on the life of his father. Prince Vasily Dolgoruky, the tutor of the prince, Prince Vyazemsky, Colonel Kikin and the Old Believer bishop Dosifey Glebov were arrested. After excruciating torture, they were killed.

In addition to them, the Tsarevich's friends Pustynsky, Zhuravsky and Dorukin also died. Peter spent whole days in the dungeons, torturing the unfortunate. He took Alexei to Petersburg. Soon they brought Euphrosyne, who gave birth to a son on the way. Alexei on his knees begged Catherine not to destroy him, saying that he did not need the kingdom. But the ruthless German woman brought her job to the end.

Princes Vyazemsky and Dolgoruky did not confess to anything. Yes, and there was nothing. They were executed in vain, and Peter, like Sophia, violated the restrictive certificate signed by Michael that the tsar does not dare to execute the nobles, but only exile them with the consent of the nobility.

At the intrigues of "Katenka" and Menshikov, Evfrosinya Fedorova was taken to the dungeon.

The unfortunate woman, torn from her husband and little son, was frightened by the royal torture and slandered both herself and Alexei. She showed Peter, who himself interrogated her, that the tsarevich really wanted to kill him, wanting to turn Russia back towards the Russians and drive out the foreigners.

Alexei was taken to the dungeon. Peter, as if on a holiday, brought his own son and all his favorites to be tortured: Menshikov, Prince Dolgoruky (a relative of the executed), Prince Golovkin, whose wife he was in touch with, Feodor Apraksin, Musin-Pushkin, Streshnev, Tolstoy, Shafirov and General Buturlin .

The Tsarevich was tortured for three hours, from eight to eleven in the morning!

They tortured him for three days in a row, on June 19, 24 and 26, 1717, giving him a break to recover a little from the torment.

What a beast Peter was! He even tortured his own son mercilessly. And what can we say about the people?
The fiend-king tortured his son with his own hands.

June 26, at 6 pm, the unfortunate prince died from torture. He was so crippled all over that, looking at him, even the guards of the Trubetskoy bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress, accustomed to everything, could not help sobbing. Everyone felt sorry for the Russian prince, shamefully beaten with whips, tortured to death thanks to the intrigues of the royal concubine. Catherine-Marta killed Alexei.

But soon her son Peter died. Still, God sees all the dirty tricks that nonhumans do and rewards them for it. She committed her crime in vain. The son of Tsarevich Alexei, Peter Alekseevich, was declared the heir.

These are such different and emotional opinions.

What do you think, did the son of Peter the Great deserve such a death, and which version is closer to the truth?

Sources:

When answering the question of how many children Peter I had, several factors should be taken into account. First of all, the emperor had children from two wives and several favorites. Also, six heirs of Tsar Peter I died in infancy. There were only three descendants who lived to be more than 10 years old: son Alexei, daughters Anna and Elizabeth.

The fate of the children of Peter I is mostly tragic - early death in infancy from dangerous disease, death under torture or in childbirth "fever". The only heir of Peter I, who lived a full and relatively long life, was the future Empress Elizabeth.

Portrait of the family of Peter I. Enamel miniature by Gregory of Musikiy. 1716–1717

Considering genealogical tree Romanovs, you can see that they called the children of Peter I the traditional names for the family: Alexander, Alexei, Peter and Pavel - for men; Anna, Natalia - for women. Only Margarita and Elizaveta, names that were not previously used in the Romanov family, “knocked out” from the tradition.

Children from the first marriage with Evdokia Lopukhina

Alexey Petrovich Romanov

The firstborn of Peter I and Evdokia Lopukhina. He was born on February 28 (18), 1690 in the village of Preobrazhensky (the Tsar's residence near Moscow). Until the age of 8, he was brought up by his mother and grandmother on his father's side. After the imprisonment of Evdokia in a monastery, he was transferred to the upbringing of Princess Natalya. In childhood and adolescence, he studied at home and later continued his studies in Europe. At 21, he married the sister of the future Austrian Empress. Carried out numerous tasks for his father. Together with his comrades-in-arms and his mistress, he planned a coup d'etat, which he confessed to under torture upon his return to Russia. Was convicted of treason. He died in the Peter and Paul Fortress on June 26 (7), 1718, the circumstances of death are not fully known.

Alexander Petrovich Romanov- The second son of Peter I and Evdokia Lopukhina. Born October 3, 1691 near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Baptized on November 11 (1), 1691 in the Miracle Monastery. Not having lived even a year, Alexander died on May 24 (14), 1692 in Moscow.

Children from a second marriage with Catherine I Alekseevna

Died in infancy:
Ekaterina Petrovna Romanova(January 8, 1707 - August 8, 1709) - the first daughter of Peter I from Catherine. She had the status of illegitimate, so Ekaterina Alekseevna at that time was the tsar's mistress, and not her legal wife. She died at the age of one year and six months.

Natalia Petrovna Romanova(eldest, March 14, 1713 - June 7, 1715) - - the first legitimate daughter from Catherine. She died in St. Petersburg at the age of two years and two months.

Margarita Petrovna Romanova(September 14, 1714 - August 7, 1715) - daughter of Peter I from Ekaterina Alekseevna, died in infancy.

Pyotr Petrovich Romanov(October 29, 1715 - May 6, 1719) - the first son of Peter and Catherine, was considered the official heir to the throne after the abdication of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. Lived 3 years and 5 months.

Pavel Petrovich Romanov(January 13, 1717 - January 14, 1717) - the second son of Peter I from Ekaterina Alekseevna, died the day after birth.

Natalya Petrovna Romanova

The younger namesake of a sister who died in infancy. The last child of Peter and Catherine. She was born on August 20 (31), 1718 in St. Petersburg, during the Aland Congress. Peter I at the time of the birth of his daughter was on the teachings of the galley fleet, but having received news of the birth of the princess, he ordered to return to the capital and arrange a feast. One of the three surviving children of Peter I and Catherine I who received the status of princesses after the proclamation Russian Empire. She died of measles on March 4 (15), 1725 at the age of 6 and a half, a little more than a month after the death of the emperor. To say goodbye to the princess, the coffin was exhibited in the same room as the coffin of Peter I, who had not yet been buried at that time. She was buried along with other children of Peter I in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Anna Petrovna Romanova

The second illegitimate daughter of Peter and Catherine. Born in Moscow on January 27 (February 7), 1708. After the wedding of her parents, she was recognized as a princess, i.e. received the status of officially recognized daughter of the emperor. In honor of this event, Peter I transferred land in the center of St. Petersburg to his daughter. Also for the daughter of Peter, Annengof was built - a country estate near Yekateringof. In November 1724, a marriage contract was signed and Anna was married to Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. The wedding took place after the death of Peter I in May of the following year. Anna bore the title of Duchess of Holstein, became the mother of the future emperor Peter III. She died shortly after giving birth.

Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova

Also the illegitimate daughter of Peter and Catherine, later recognized as a princess and princess. She was born on December 18 (29), 1709 in Moscow, the Kolomna Palace. Even during the life of her father, she refused possible offers of marriage. As a result palace coup 1741, became empress at the age of 31. She became famous as an empress who had a weakness for luxury and celebrations. Started the fashion for favoritism at the Russian court. She remained unmarried, had no official children. She died at the age of 52, December 25, 1761 (January 5, 1762) in St. Petersburg, the Summer Palace.

Unconfirmed children

Considering how many children Emperor Peter I had, some historians also consider unofficial descendants. There are no confirmations or denials of the paternity of Peter I in the cases below. These are just versions.
Pavel Petrovich(1693) - presumably the third son of Peter and Lopukhina. The baby died during childbirth or immediately after them.
Pyotr Petrovich(September 1705 - until 1707) and Pavel Petrovich (1704 - until 1707) - presumably the first sons of Peter and Catherine, but there is no information about them in the documents.
Pyotr Petrovich(1719 - October 1723) - the "false" heir of Peter I. The version of his presence was provoked by the reburial on October 24, 1723 of the real crown prince with the same name. The ashes were transferred from one church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to another. Also, rumors about another child of the emperor were based on the pregnancy of the favorite of Peter I, Maria Cantemir, which took place in the same period.

Children of Peter I from favorites and mistresses

The children of Peter I from favorites are also unconfirmed and often fictional. So Maria Hamilton, who drowned one newborn and had previously had two abortions, never talked about the possible paternity of the emperor. Maria Cantemir was supposedly pregnant by the emperor, but the child did not survive childbirth. According to another version, the commander Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky had a clear resemblance to Peter I, but Maria Rumyantseva, although she was the tsar's favorite, gave birth to a child in a legal marriage.

Why did many children of Peter I die at a young age?

As can be seen from the article, infant mortality during the time of Peter I was not just a common phenomenon, but frighteningly frequent. The main causes of death of children during the time of Peter I were the low development of medicine, unsanitary conditions even in the royal chambers, and insufficient personal hygiene. And most importantly: at that time, with problematic childbirth, you had to make a choice who to leave alive - the mother or the child. If we consider the question of what exactly the children of Peter I died from, then the most common cause become infectious diseases and epidemics.

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Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich (Alexei Petrovich Romanov; February 18, 1690, Preobrazhenskoye - June 26, 1718, St. Petersburg) - heir to the Russian throne, the eldest son of Peter I and his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina.

Unknown artist Portrait of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Russia, XVIII century.

Demakov Evgeny Alexandrovich. Peter I and Evdokia-Lopukhin

Alexey Petrovich was born on February 18 (28), 1690 in Preobrazhensky. Baptized on February 23 (March 5), 1690, godparents - Patriarch Joachim and Princess Tatyana Mikhailovna. Name day on March 17, heavenly patron - Alexy, man of God. It was named after his grandfather, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

Joachim, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Alexis man of God

Portrait of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

In the early years he lived in the care of his grandmother Natalya Kirillovna. At the age of six, he began to learn to read and write under Nikifor Vyazemsky, a simple and poorly educated man, whom he sometimes beat. Likewise thrashed "honest brother of his guardian" confessor Yakov Ignatiev.

Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, nee Naryshkina (August 22 (September 1), 1651 - January 25 (February 4), 1694) - Russian queen, second wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, mother of Peter I.

After imprisonment in a monastery in 1698, his mother was transferred under the care of his aunt Natalya Alekseevna and transferred to her in the Transfiguration Palace. In 1699, Peter I remembered his son and wanted to send him along with General Karlovich to study in Dresden. However, due to the death of the general, the Saxon Neugebauer from the University of Leipzig was invited as a mentor. He failed to bind the prince to himself and in 1702 lost his position.

Family portrait of Peter with Catherine, son Tsarevich Alexei and children from his second wife

Musikisky, Grigory Semenovich Miniature on enamel

Tsarevna Natalya Alekseevna (August 22, 1673 - June 18, 1716 - beloved sister of Peter I, daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich and Natalia Naryshkina.

The following year, Baron Huissen took the place of educator. In 1708, N. Vyazemsky reported that the prince was studying the German and French languages, studying "four parts of tsifiri", repeats declensions and cases, writes an atlas and reads history. Continuing to live far away from his father, in Preobrazhensky, until 1709, the prince was surrounded by people who, in his own words, taught him "to have hypocrisy and conversion with priests and blacks and often go to them and drink."

Transfiguration Cathedral and the Imperial Palace.

Then, at the time of the Swedes’ advance into the interior of the continent, Peter instructs his son to monitor the training of recruits and the construction of fortifications in Moscow, but he remains dissatisfied with the result of his son’s work - the king was especially angry that during the work the prince went to the Suzdal monastery, where his mother was.

Evdokia Lopukhina in monastic vestments

Suzdal, Intercession Monastery. Artist Evgeny Dubitsky

In 1707, Huyssen proposed to Alexei Petrovich as a wife Princess Charlotte of Wolfenbüttel, the sister of the future Austrian Empress.

"Ceremonial portrait of Princess Sophia-Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel"

Unknown artist

In 1709, accompanied by Alexander Golovkin and Prince Yuri Trubetskoy, he traveled to Dresden to teach German and French, geometry, fortification, and "political affairs." At the end of the course, the prince had to pass an exam in geometry and fortification in the presence of his father. However, fearing that he would force him to make a complex drawing with which he might not be able to cope and thereby give himself a reason to reproach, Alexei tried to injure his hand with a pistol shot. Enraged, Peter beat his son and forbade him to appear at court, but later, having tried to reconcile, he canceled the ban. In Slakenwert, in the spring of 1710, he saw his bride, and a year later, on April 11, a marriage contract was signed. The wedding was magnificently celebrated on October 14, 1711 in Torgau.

Alexey Petrovich Romanov.

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Romanov

Franke Christoph Bernard.

The portrait from the collection of the Radishchev Museum in Saratov, most likely, was painted by one of the court painters of Augustus the Strong. This is the earliest known pictorial portrait of Charlotte Christina Sophia. It is possible that it was written in connection with the upcoming wedding in 1711.

Charlotte Christina Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Charlotte Christina Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Johann Paul Luden

Charlotte Christina Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Unknown artist

G.D. Molchanov

In the marriage, the prince had children - Natalia (1714-1728) and Peter (1715-1730), later Emperor Peter II.

Birth of Peter II

Peter II and Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna

Louis Caravaque

Shortly after the birth of her son, Charlotte died, and the prince chose a mistress from the serfs of Vyazemsky, named Efrosinya, with whom he traveled to Europe and who was later interrogated in his case and was acquitted.

Ekaterina Kulakova as Efrosinya in Vitaly Melnikov's feature film "Tsarevich Alexei"

Stills from the film "Tsarevich Alexei"

Escape abroad

The death of a son and the death of his wife coincided with the birth of the long-awaited son of Peter himself and his wife Catherine - Tsarevich Peter Petrovich.

Tsarevich Pyotr Petrovich (October 29 (November 9), 1715, St. Petersburg - April 25 (May 6), 1719, ibid.) - the first son of Peter I from Ekaterina Alekseevna, who died in infancy.

As Cupid in a portrait by Louis Caravaque

This shook the position of Alexei - he was no longer of interest to his father even as a forced heir. On the day of Charlotte's funeral, Peter gave his son a letter in which he scolded him for "shows no inclination towards state affairs", and urged to improve, otherwise threatening not only to remove him from inheritance, but even worse: “if you are married, then be known that I will deprive you of your inheritance like a gangrenous ud, and don’t think to yourself that I’m only intimidation I write - I will fulfill it in truth, for for My Fatherland and the people I did not regret my belly and do not regret it, then how can I pity you indecently.

Posthumous romanticized portrait of Peter I. Painter Paul Delaroche (1838).

In 1716, as a result of a conflict with his father, who demanded that he decide as soon as possible on the issue of tonsure, Alexey, with the help of Kikin (the head of the St. Copenhagen, but from Gdansk he secretly fled to Vienna and conducted separate negotiations there with European rulers, including a relative of his wife, the Austrian Emperor Charles. To maintain secrecy, the Austrians transported Alexei to Naples. Alexey planned to wait on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire for the death of Peter (who was seriously ill during this period) and then, relying on the help of the Austrians, become the Russian Tsar.

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Romanov

According to his testimony during the investigation, he was ready to rely on the Austrian army to seize power. In turn, the Austrians planned to use Alexei as their puppet in the intervention against Russia, but abandoned their intention, considering such an enterprise too dangerous.

It is not impossible for us to achieve some success in the lands of the king himself, that is, to support any rebellions, but we actually know that this prince has neither sufficient courage nor sufficient intelligence to derive any real benefit or benefit from these [ uprisings]

- from the memorandum of Vice-Chancellor Count Schönborn (German) to Emperor Karl

Portrait of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor"

The search for the prince did not bring success for a long time, perhaps for the reason that A.P. Veselovsky, the Russian ambassador to the Vienna court, whom Peter I instructed to find Alexei, was at the same time with Kikin. Finally, Russian intelligence tracked down the location of Alexei (Erenberg Castle in Tyrol), and the emperor was demanded to extradite the prince to Russia.

Ehrenberg Castle (Reutte)

Tannauer Johann Gonfried. Portrait of Count Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy. 1710s

Portrait of an associate of Peter I Alexander Ivanovich Rumyantsev (1680-1749)

Borovikovsky, Vladimir Lukich

The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire refused to extradite Alexei, but allowed P. Tolstoy to be admitted to him. The latter showed Alexei a letter from Peter, where the prince was guaranteed forgiveness of any guilt in the event of an immediate return to Russia.

If you are afraid of me, then I reassure you and promise you by God and His judgment that there will be no punishment for you, but I will show you better love if you obey my will and return. But if you don’t do this, then, ... as your sovereign, I declare for a traitor and I will not leave all the ways for you, as a traitor and scolder of my father, to commit, in which God will help me in my truth.

- from Peter's letter to Alexei

The letter, however, failed to force Alexei to return. Then Tolstoy bribed an Austrian official to "by secret" told the prince that his extradition to Russia was a settled issue

And then I exhorted the secretary of the viceroy, who was used in all transfers and the man is much smarter, so that, as if for a secret, he said to the prince all the above words, which I advised the viceroy to announce to the prince, and gave that secretary 160 gold chervonets, promising him to reward him in advance that this secretary did

- from Tolstoy's report

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich

This convinced Alexei that the calculations for Austrian aid were unreliable. Realizing that he would not receive help from Charles VI, and fearful of returning to Russia, Alexei, through the French officer Dure, secretly wrote a letter to the Swedish government asking for help. However, the answer given by the Swedes (the Swedes undertook to provide Alexei with an army to enthrone him) was late, and P. Tolstoy managed to get Alexei's consent to return to Russia by threats and promises on October 14 before he received a message from the Swedes.

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich

The case of Tsarevich Alexei

After returning for a secret flight and activities during his stay abroad, Alexei was deprived of the right to the throne (manifesto on February 3 (14), 1718), and he himself took a solemn oath to renounce the throne in favor of brother Peter Petrovich in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin in the presence father, higher clergy and higher dignitaries.

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich

At the same time, forgiveness was announced to him on the condition of recognizing all the misdeeds committed (“Yesterday later, I received forgiveness on the fact that all the circumstances were conveyed to my escape and other things like that; and if something is hidden, then you will be deprived of your stomach; ... if you hide something and then obviously will be, don’t blame me: since yesterday it was announced before all the people that for this pardon not pardon”).

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Romanov.
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The very next day after the abdication ceremony, an investigation began, entrusted to the Secret Chancellery and headed by Count Tolstoy. Alexey, in his testimony, tried to portray himself as a victim of his entourage and shift all the blame on his entourage. The people around him were executed, but this did not help Alexei - his mistress Efrosinya gave exhaustive testimony, exposing Alexei in a lie.

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. Gritbach steel engraving

In particular, it turned out that Alexei was ready to use the Austrian army to seize power and intended to lead a rebellion of Russian troops if the opportunity arose. It got to the point that there were hints of Alexei's attempts to contact Charles XII. At the confrontation, Aleksey confirmed Efrosinya's testimony, although he did not say anything about any real or imaginary ties with the Swedes. Now it is difficult to establish the full reliability of these testimonies. Although torture was not used at this stage of the investigation, Efrosinya could have been bribed, and Aleksei could give false testimony out of fear of torture. However, in cases where Efrosinya's testimony can be verified from independent sources, they are confirmed (for example, Efrosinya reported letters that Alexei wrote to Russia, preparing the ground for coming to power - one such letter (unsent) was found in the archives of Vienna).

Death

Based on the facts that surfaced, the prince was put on trial and condemned to death as a traitor. It should be noted that Aleksey's connections with the Swedes remained unknown to the court, and the guilty verdict was issued on the basis of other episodes, which, according to the laws in force at that time, were punishable by death.

The prince died in the Peter and Paul Fortress on June 26 (July 7), 1718, according to the official version, from a blow. In the 19th century, N. G. Ustryalov discovered documents, according to which, shortly before his death (already after the verdict was passed), the prince was tortured, and this torture could have become the direct cause of his death. According to the records of the office, Alexei died on June 26. Peter I published an official notice stating that, after hearing the death sentence, the prince was horrified, demanded his father, asked his forgiveness and died in a Christian way, in complete repentance from his deed.

Alexei Zuev as Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Vitaly Melnikov's feature film "Tsarevich Alexei"

There is evidence that Alexei was secretly killed in a prison cell on the orders of Peter, but they strongly contradict each other in details. Published in the 19th century with the participation of M. I. Semevsky "letter from A. I. Rumyantsev to D. I. Titov"(according to other sources, Tatishchev) with a description of the murder of Alexei is a proven fake; it contains a number of factual errors and anachronisms (which was pointed out by N. G. Ustryalov), and close to the text retells the official publications about the case of Alexei that had not yet been released.

Alexei Zuev as Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Vitaly Melnikov's feature film "Tsarevich Alexei"

In the media, you can find information that during his lifetime, Alexei was ill with tuberculosis - according to a number of historians, the sudden death was the result of an exacerbation of the disease in prison conditions or the result of a side effect of medicines.

Alexei was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the fortress in the presence of his father. Posthumous rehabilitation of Alexei, withdrawal from circulation of manifestos condemning him and aimed at justifying the actions of Peter "The Truth of the Monarchs' Will" Feofan Prokopovich occurred during the reign of his son Peter II (since 1727).

Chapel of St. Catherine with the graves of Tsarevich Alexei, his wife and aunt Princess Maria Alekseevna

In culture.

The personality of the prince attracted the attention of writers (beginning with Voltaire and Pushkin), and in the 19th century. and many historians. Alexei is depicted in the famous painting by N. N. Ge "Peter interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof"(1871).

Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof. N. N. Ge, 1871

In Vladimir Petrov's feature film "Peter the Great" (1937), Nikolai Cherkasov played the role of the prince with high dramatic skill. Here the image of Alexei Petrovich is interpreted in the spirit of official historiography as an image of a protege of obsolete forces within the country and hostile foreign powers, an enemy of Peter's reforms and the imperial power of Russia. His conviction and murder are presented as a just and necessary act, which during the years of the film's production served as an indirect argument in favor of Stalin's repressions. At the same time, it is absurd to see a ten-year-old crown prince as the head of the boyar reaction by the time of the Battle of Narva.

Glass of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich (17th century).

In Vitaly Melnikov's feature film "Tsarevich Alexei" (1997), Alexei Petrovich is shown as a man who is ashamed of his crowned father and only wants to live an ordinary life. At the same time, according to the filmmakers, he was a quiet and God-fearing person who did not want the death of Peter I and the change of power in Russia. But as a result of palace intrigues, he was slandered, for which he was tortured by his father, and his comrades were executed.

A. N. Tolstoy, "Peter the Great" - the most famous novel about the life of Peter I, published in 1945 (Alexey is shown as a minor)

D. Mordovtsev - the novel “The Shadow of Herod. (Idealists and Realists)"

D. S. Merezhkovsky - the novel “Antichrist. Peter and Alexey"

Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich

The film "Tsarevich Alexei" (1995)