Svechin Alexander Andreevich military strategy. BUT

Emperor Peter III Fedorovich at birth was named Karl Peter Ulrich, since the future Russian ruler was born in the port city of Kiel, located in the north of the modern German state. On the Russian throne, Peter III lasted six months (the official years of reign are 1761-1762), after which he became a victim of a palace coup arranged by his wife, who replaced her deceased spouse.

It is noteworthy that in the following centuries, the biography of Peter III was presented exclusively from a pejorative point of view, so his image among people was unambiguously negative. But recently, historians have found evidence that this emperor had quite definite merits to the country, and a longer term of his reign would bring tangible benefits to the inhabitants of the Russian Empire.

Childhood and youth

Since the boy was born in the family of Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp, the nephew of the Swedish king Charles XII, and his wife Anna Petrovna, the daughter of the king (that is, Peter III was the grandson of Peter I), his fate was predetermined from infancy. As soon as he was born, the child became the heir to the Swedish throne, and besides, in theory he could claim the Russian throne, although, according to the idea of ​​his grandfather Peter I, this should not have happened.

The childhood of Peter III was not royal at all. The boy lost his mother early, and his father, obsessed with reclaiming the lost Prussian lands, raised his son like a soldier. Already at the age of 10, little Karl Peter was awarded the rank of second lieutenant, and a year later the boy was orphaned.

After the death of Karl Friedrich, his son ended up in the house of Bishop Adolf Eitinsky, his great uncle, where the boy turned into an object for humiliation, cruel jokes and where they regularly flogged. Nobody cared about the education of the crown prince, and by the age of 13 he could barely read. Karl Peter was in poor health, he was a frail and timid teenager, but at the same time kind and simple-hearted. He loved music and painting, although because of the memories of his father, he also adored the "military".

However, it is known that until his death, Emperor Peter III was afraid of the sound of cannon shots and rifle volleys. The chroniclers also noted the young man's strange predilection for fantasies and inventions, which often turned into outright lies. There is also a version that even in adolescence, Karl Peter became addicted to alcohol.

The life of the future All-Russian Emperor changed when he was 14 years old. His aunt ascended the Russian throne, who decided to secure the monarchy for the descendants of her father. Since Karl Peter was the only direct heir of Peter the Great, he was summoned to St. Petersburg, where the young Peter the Third, who already bore the title of Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, adopted the Orthodox religion and received the Slavic name Prince Peter Fedorovich.

At the first meeting with her nephew, Elizabeth was amazed at his ignorance and assigned a tutor to the royal heir. The teacher noted the excellent mental abilities of the ward, which debunks one of the myths about Peter III as a "feeble-minded martinet" and "mentally handicapped."

Although there is evidence that the emperor behaved in public in an extremely strange way. Especially in temples. For example, during the service, Peter laughed and spoke loudly. Yes, and with foreign ministers behaved familiarly. Perhaps this behavior gave rise to a rumor about his "inferiority".

Also in his youth, he had been ill with a severe form of smallpox, which could cause developmental disabilities. At the same time, Pyotr Fedorovich understood the exact sciences, geography and fortification, spoke German, French and Latin. But he practically did not know Russian. But he didn't want to master it either.

By the way, smallpox severely disfigured the face of Peter III. But this defect in appearance is not displayed in any portrait. And then no one thought about the art of photography - the first photo in the world appeared only after more than 60 years. So only his portraits, painted from life, but “embellished” by artists, survived to his contemporaries.

Governing body

After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna on December 25, 1761, Peter Fedorovich ascended the throne. But he was not crowned, it was planned to do this after a military campaign against Denmark. As a result, Peter III was crowned posthumously in 1796.

He spent 186 days on the throne. During this time, Peter the Third signed 192 laws and decrees. And that's not even counting the award nominations. So, despite the myths and rumors around his personality and activities, even for such a short period, he managed to prove himself both in the foreign and domestic policies of the country.

The most important document of the reign of Peter Fedorovich is the “Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility”. This piece of legislation exempted nobles from the mandatory 25-year service and even allowed them to travel abroad.

Of the other affairs of the emperor, it is worth noting a number of reforms on the transformation of the state system. He, being on the throne for only six months, managed to abolish the Secret Chancellery, introduce freedom of religion, abolish church supervision over the personal lives of his subjects, forbid giving away state lands to private ownership, and most importantly, make the court of the Russian Empire open. And he also declared the forest a national wealth, established the State Bank and introduced the first banknotes into circulation. But after the death of Pyotr Fedorovich, all these innovations were destroyed.

Thus, Emperor Peter III intended to make the Russian Empire freer, less totalitarian and more enlightened.

Despite this, most historians consider the short period and results of his reign to be among the worst for Russia. The main reason for this is the actual annulment of the results of the Seven Years' War by him. Peter developed a bad relationship with military officers, as he ended the war with Prussia and withdrew Russian troops from Berlin. Some regarded these actions as a betrayal, but in fact the victories of the guards in this war brought glory either to them personally or to Austria and France, whose side was supported by the army. But for the Russian Empire, this war was of no use.

He also decided to introduce the Prussian order into the Russian army - the guards had a new form, and now the punishments were also in the Prussian manner - the cane system. Such changes did not add to his authority, but, on the contrary, gave rise to discontent and uncertainty about the future both in the army and in court circles.

Personal life

When the future ruler was barely 17 years old, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna hurried to marry him. The German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta was chosen as his wife, whom the whole world knows today under the name Catherine II. The wedding of the heir was played on an unprecedented scale. As a gift, Peter and Catherine were presented with the palaces of the count - Oranienbaum near St. Petersburg and Lyubertsy near Moscow.

It is worth noting that Peter III and Catherine II could not stand each other and were considered a married couple only legally. Even when his wife gave Peter the heir of Paul I, and then his daughter Anna, he joked that he did not understand "where she takes these children."

The infant heir, the future Russian Emperor Paul I, was taken away from his parents after birth, and Empress Elizaveta Petrovna herself immediately took up his upbringing. However, this did not upset Pyotr Fyodorovich at all. He never showed much interest in his son. He saw the boy once a week, this was the permission of the empress. Daughter Anna Petrovna died in infancy.

The difficult relationship between Peter the Third and Catherine II is evidenced by the fact that the ruler repeatedly quarreled publicly with his wife and even threatened to divorce her. Once, after his wife did not support the toast he had uttered at the feast, Peter III ordered the woman to be arrested. Catherine was saved from prison only by the intervention of Peter's uncle, Georg of Holstein-Gottorp. But with all the aggression, anger and, most likely, burning jealousy for his wife, Pyotr Fedorovich had respect for her mind. In difficult situations, more often economic and financial, Catherine's husband often turned to her for help. There is evidence that Peter III called Catherine II "Madame Help".

It is noteworthy that the absence of intimate relations with Catherine did not affect the personal life of Peter III. Pyotr Fedorovich had mistresses, the main of which was the daughter of General Roman Vorontsov. Two of his daughters were presented to the court: Catherine, who would become a friend of the imperial wife, and later Princess Dashkova, and Elizabeth. So she was destined to become the beloved woman and favorite of Peter III. For her sake, he was even ready to terminate the marriage, but this was not destined to happen.

Death

On the royal throne, Peter Fedorovich stayed a little longer than six months. By the summer of 1762, his wife Catherine II inspired her henchman to organize a palace coup, which took place at the end of June. Peter, struck by the betrayal of his environment, abdicated the Russian throne, which he initially did not value and did not want, and intended to return to his native country. However, by order of Catherine, the deposed emperor was arrested and placed in a palace in Ropsha near St. Petersburg.

And on July 17, 1762, a week after that, Peter III died. The official cause of death was an "attack of hemorrhoidal colic", aggravated by the abuse of alcoholic beverages. However, the main version of the death of the emperor is considered to be a violent death by hand, the elder brother - the main favorite of Catherine at that time. It is believed that Orlov strangled the prisoner, although neither the later medical examination of the corpse nor historical facts confirm this. This version is based on the "repentant letter" of Alexei, which has survived in our time in a copy, and modern scholars are sure that this paper is a fake made by Fyodor Rostopchin, the right hand of Paul the First.

After the death of the former emperor, there was a misconception about the personality and biography of Peter III, since all conclusions were made on the basis of the memoirs of his wife Catherine II, an active participant in the conspiracy Princess Dashkova, one of the main ideologists of the conspiracy, Count Nikita Panin, and his brother, Count Peter Panin . That is, based on the opinion of those people who betrayed Pyotr Fedorovich.

It was precisely “thanks to” the notes of Catherine II that the image of Peter III was formed as a drunken husband who hanged a rat. Allegedly, the woman went into the emperor's office and was amazed at what she saw. There was a rat hanging over his desk. Her husband replied that she had committed a criminal offense and, according to military laws, was subjected to the most severe punishment. According to him, she was executed and will hang in front of the public for 3 days. This "story" was repeated by both, and, describing Peter the Third.

Whether this was in reality, or whether in this way Catherine II created her own positive image against its “unsightly” background, now it is not possible to find out.

Rumors of death have given rise to a considerable number of impostors calling themselves the "surviving king." Similar phenomena have happened before, it is worth remembering at least the numerous False Dmitrys. But in terms of the number of people who pretended to be the emperor, Pyotr Fedorovich has no competitors. At least 40 persons turned out to be "False Peters III", among which was Stepan Maly.

Memory

• 1934 - feature film "The Dissolute Empress" (as Peter III - Sam Jaffe)
• 1963 - feature film "Katerina from Russia" (in the role of Peter III - Raul Grassili)
• 1987 - the book "The Legend of the Russian Prince" - Mylnikov A.S.
• 1991 - feature film "Vivat, midshipmen!" (as Peter III -)
• 1991 - the book "The temptation of a miracle. "Russian Prince" and impostors "- Mylnikov A. S.
• 2007 - the book "Catherine II and Peter III: the history of the tragic conflict" - Ivanov O. A.
• 2012 - the book "The Heirs of the Giant" - Eliseeva O.I.
• 2014 - the series "Catherine" (in the role of Peter III -)
• 2014 - a monument to Peter III in the German city of Kiel (sculptor Alexander Taratynov)
• 2015 - series "The Great" (as Peter III -)
• 2018 - series "The Bloody Lady" (as Peter III -)

F. Rokotov "Portrait of Peter III"

“But nature was not as favorable to him as fate: the probable heir to two alien and large thrones, according to his abilities, he was not suitable for his own small throne” (V. Klyuchevsky)

Childhood

Before the adoption of Orthodoxy, the All-Russian Emperor Peter III Fedorovich bore the name Karl-Peter-Ulrich. He was the son of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl-Friedrich and Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna (daughter of Peter I). Thus, he was the grandson of Peter I and the great-nephew of the King of Sweden, Charles XII. Born in Kiel, the capital of Holstein. He was only 3 weeks old when his mother died and 11 years old when his father died.

His upbringing was entrusted to Marshal Brumer, it was reduced to barracks order and training with the help of a whip. Nevertheless, he was prepared to take the Swedish throne, so they brought up in him the spirit of Swedish patriotism, i.e. spirit of hatred towards Russia.

The current Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was childless, but she wanted the throne to be inherited by a descendant of Peter I, so for this purpose she brings her nephew, Karl-Peter-Ulrich, to Russia. He accepts Orthodoxy and, under the name of Peter Fedorovich, is declared Grand Duke, heir to the throne with the title of Imperial Highness.

L. Pfantzelt "Portrait of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich"

In Russia

Peter was sickly, did not receive proper upbringing and education. In addition, he had a stubborn, irritable and deceitful character. Elizaveta Petrovna was struck by the ignorance of her nephew. She assigned a new tutor to him, but he never made any significant progress from him. And a sharp change in lifestyle, country, environment, impressions and religion (before the adoption of Orthodoxy, he was a Lutheran) led to the fact that he was completely disoriented in the world around him. V. Klyuchevsky wrote: "... he looked at serious things with a childish look, and treated children's undertakings with the seriousness of a mature husband."

Elizaveta Petrovna did not give up her intention to secure the throne for a descendant of Peter I and decided to marry him. She herself chose his bride - the daughter of an impoverished German prince - Sophia-Friederike-Augusta (in the future Catherine II). The marriage took place on August 21, 1745. But their family life did not work out from the very first days. Peter insulted his young wife, repeatedly announced that she was being sent abroad or to a monastery, and was fond of the ladies-in-waiting of Elizabeth Petrovna. He developed a passion for carousing. However, Peter III had two children: son Paul (future Emperor Paul I) and daughter Anna. Rumor has it that the children were not his.

G.-K. Groot "Pyotr Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna"

Peter's favorite pastimes were playing the violin and war games. Already being married, Peter did not stop playing with soldiers, he had a lot of wooden, wax and tin soldiers. His idol was the Prussian King Frederick II and his army, he admired the beauty of the Prussian uniforms, the bearing of the soldiers.

Elizaveta Petrovna, according to V. Klyuchevsky, was in despair at the character and behavior of her nephew. She herself and her favorites were worried about the fate of the Russian throne, she listened to proposals to replace the heir with Catherine or Pavel Petrovich with the preservation of the regency for Catherine until he came of age, but the empress could not finally decide on a single proposal. She died - and on December 25, 1761, Peter III ascended the Russian throne.

Domestic politics

The young emperor began his reign by pardoning many criminals and political exiles (Minich, Biron, etc.). He abolished the Secret Chancellery, which had been operating since the time of Peter I and was engaged in secret investigation and torture. He announced forgiveness to the repentant peasants who had previously disobeyed their landlords. Prohibited the persecution of dissenters. Issued a Decree of February 18, 1762, according to which the compulsory military service for the nobles, introduced by Peter I, was abolished. Historians doubt that all these innovations were dictated by the desire for good for Russia - most likely, there are more actions of court dignitaries who tried in this way to increase the popularity of the new emperor. But she continued to be very low. He was charged with disrespect for Russian shrines (he did not honor the clergy, ordered the house churches to be closed, the priests to take off their vestments and put on worldly clothes), as well as the conclusion of a “shameful peace” with Prussia.

Foreign policy

Peter led Russia out of the Seven Years' War, during the hostilities East Prussia was annexed to Russia.

The negative attitude towards Peter III intensified after he announced his intention to move to recapture Schleswig from Denmark. In his opinion, she oppressed his native Holstein. The guards were especially worried, which, in fact, supported Catherine in the upcoming coup.

coup

Having ascended the throne, Peter was in no hurry to be crowned. And although Frederick II in his letters persistently advised Peter to carry out this procedure as soon as possible, the emperor for some reason did not heed the advice of his idol. Therefore, in the eyes of the Russian people, he was, as it were, an unreal tsar. For Catherine, this moment was the only chance to take the throne. Moreover, the emperor has publicly stated more than once that he intends to divorce his wife and marry Elizaveta Vorontsova, the former maid of honor of Elizabeth Petrovna.

On June 27, 1762, P. Passek, one of the main organizers of the conspiracy, was arrested in the Izmailovsky barracks. Early in the morning, the brother of Ekaterina's favorite A. Orlov brought Ekaterina from Peterhof to St. Petersburg, where the Izmailovsky and Semenovsky regiments swore allegiance to her, and her Manifesto was urgently read out in the Winter Palace. Then the rest swore allegiance to her. Peter III at that time was in his favorite castle in Oranienbaum. Having learned about the events that had taken place, he hurried to Kronstadt (on the advice of Munnich), but by that time the soldiers had already sworn allegiance to Catherine. He returned lost and, despite the fact that Minich offered him various ways out of the situation, he did not dare to take any action and rewrote the act of abdication drawn up by Catherine. He was sent first to Peterhof, and then to Ropsha, where he was taken under arrest. While Catherine was thinking about what to do with the deposed emperor, her close associates killed him (by strangulation). It was announced to the people that Peter III had died of "hemorrhoidal colic."

L. Pfantzelt "Portrait of Emperor Peter III"

Frederick II commented on his death: He allowed himself to be overthrown like a child sent to sleep."

Peter III was Russian Emperor for only 186 days.

Peter III (short biography)

The biography of Karl-Peter-Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp or Peter the Third is full of events and sharp turns. He was born on the twenty-first of February 1728 and left without a mother at an early age. At the age of eleven, he also lost his father. The young man was prepared to rule Sweden, but everything changed when Elizabeth, who became in 1741, announced her nephew Peter the Third Fedorovich as the heir to her throne.

Researchers claim that he was not a great intellectual, but he was quite fluent in Latin and the Lutheran catechism (he also knew a little French). The Empress forced Peter the Third to learn the Russian language and the basics of the Orthodox faith. In 1745, he was married to Catherine II, who bore him an heir, Paul the First. In 1761, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter was declared the Russian Emperor without a coronation.

The reign of Peter the Third lasted one hundred and eighty-six days. In addition, he was not popular at that time in Russian society, as he openly expressed his positive attitude towards Frederick II during the Seven Years' War.

With his most important manifesto of February 18, 1762, the ruler Peter the Third abolished the obligatory service of the nobility, the Secret Chancellery, and also allowed schismatics to return to their homeland. However, even these measures did not bring people's love to the king. For a short period of his reign, serfdom was strengthened. He also ordered priests to cut their beards and dress in the manner of how Lutheran pastors dress.

Without hiding his admiration for the ruler of Prussia (Frederick the Second), Peter the Third leads Russia out of the Seven Years' War, returning the conquered territories to Prussia. It is not surprising that very soon many in the circle of the king become participants in a conspiracy that was aimed at overthrowing such a ruler. The wife of Peter Ekaterina Alekseevna acted as the initiator of this conspiracy.

These events became the beginning of the palace coup of 1762, in which M. Volkonsky, K. Razumovsky, and G. Orlov took part.

Already in 1762, the Izmailovsky and Semyonovsky regiments swear allegiance to Catherine. It is in their escort that she goes to the Kazan Cathedral, where she is proclaimed empress.

Tsar Peter the Third was exiled to Ropsha, where he died on July 9, 1762.

Each of the Russian rulers had many secrets still unsolved, however, one of the most mysterious Russian emperors was Peter III Fedorovich.

Young years of the German prince

Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (that was the name of Peter from birth), was born in the family of the German Duke Karl Friedrich and the daughter of Peter I, Tsarina Anna.

From birth, Peter was a contender for two European thrones at once - he could become the king of Sweden, as the great-nephew of the childless Charles XII and, being the grandson of Peter I, claimed the Russian throne. The prince was orphaned early and was brought up by his uncle Bishop Eitinsky, who hated everything Russian and raised his nephew according to Protestant customs.

Little attention was paid to the education of the child, so Peter spoke only German and spoke a little French. The boy grew up very nervous and cowardly, was fond of music and painting and adored everything related to military affairs (at the same time he was terribly afraid of cannon shots).

In 1741, by order of Empress Elizabeth, the thirteen-year-old heir arrives in Russia, which at that time he already hates with all his heart. A year later, Peter, by order of the Empress, converted to Orthodoxy under the name of Peter Fedorovich.

Married life

In 1745, Peter marries Sophia Augusta Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst, the future Catherine II. Their marriage from the first days was doomed to failure - the young spouses were too different. Catherine was more educated and intellectual, and Peter was not interested in anything other than playing soldiers. The spouses also did not have intimate relationships, for a long time they did not exist at all, and later Catherine had to wear a German military uniform in order to excite her husband.

At the same time, despite the coldness in relations, Peter trusted his wife very much, and in difficult situations he often turned to her for help, for which he even came up with the nickname "Madame Help".

Empress Elizabeth and all the Russian nobility laughed at the Grand Duke's passion for playing in a soldier, so the prince played secretly, and during the day the toys were hidden in the marital bed, at night, when the spouses were left alone, he played until two in the morning.

Peter's adultery

Ignoring his beautiful wife, Peter, to the surprise of all the courtiers, got himself a mistress - Elizabeth Vorontsova, daughter of Count Roman Vorontsov. The girl was ugly - fat, with a slightly flabby and broad face. Although Peter declared that he loved and respected Vorontsova, he called her simply “Romanovna” in society. Surprisingly, Catherine was not at all offended by her husband and called his mistress "Russian Pompadour."

Peter, not embarrassed, appeared in the company of the favorite, and after becoming emperor, he immediately made her a chamber-maid of honor and handed her the Catherine's ribbon. Moreover, Peter almost openly declared that he would divorce Catherine, send her to a monastery, and he himself would marry Vorontsova. It was these statements that became the impetus for the future palace coup.

Spy activities of the heir

Hating Russia, Pyotr Fedorovich adored Prussia and considered King Frederick his idol, so during the Seven Years' War, the heir handed over secret documents to King Frederick, which spoke about the number and location of Russian regiments.

When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna found out about this, she was furious, but in memory of her late sister Anna, and realizing that she had no other heir, she forgave her nephew. The case was hushed up, and Peter himself was convinced that King Frederick was looking for friendship with the Grand Duke.

Children of Peter

Pyotr Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna had two children - Grand Duke Pavel and Grand Duchess Anna. The first son was born after nine years of marriage, which gave rise to many rumors that Peter was not the father of the newborn Paul. There were rumors at court that Sergei Saltykov was the father of the child, although Pavel was very similar to Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich.

Grand Duchess Anna lived less than two years, and although she was recognized as the daughter of the Grand Duke, whether she was such is unknown. Peter himself stated that he did not know where his wife's pregnancies come from, he had nothing to do with them.

The Grand Duke did not engage in the upbringing of his son Paul, since he was immediately selected by Empress Elizabeth, and Peter himself was not interested in the development of his son.

Emperor Peter III

Emperor Peter stayed only 186 days, however, during these days he was able to show himself as an intelligent and energetic ruler. So he abolished the Secret Chancellery, began the secularization of lands, created the State Bank, stopped the persecution of the Old Believers, and carried out a rather broad amnesty for political prisoners.

Most of his documents became the foundation for the Catherine era. The reason that was chosen for the coup d'etat - Peter's fantasy about the baptism of Russia according to the Protestant rite, was not documented by historians, and most likely was specially invented by Catherine II's entourage.

The riddle of death

According to the official version, Emperor Peter died of an illness, which in principle may be true, since the events of the palace coup undermined the already poor health of the emperor. There is also a legend that Peter was killed by Catherine's favorite Alexei Orlov.

Such a sudden death gave rise to a lot of legends that Peter was saved, therefore for a long time in Russia and abroad there were figures of false-Petrov impostors, one of whom even became the king of Montenegro, and the second became the famous robber Emelyan Pugachev. The last of the impostors was arrested in 1802, already under Peter's grandson Emperor Alexander.

Coronation after death

Since Peter's reign lasted, they did not manage to hold an official coronation ceremony for half a year, it was because of this that he was buried not in the tomb of the imperial family in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, but in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra without any honors. Only 34 years later, his son Emperor Pavel, having ascended the throne, transferred the ashes of his father to the Peter and Paul Cathedral and personally conducted the coronation ceremony over the ashes of his dead father.

Relations between Catherine and Peter III did not work out from the very beginning. The husband not only got himself numerous mistresses, but also openly declared that he intended to divorce his wife for the sake of Elizaveta Vorontsova. There was no need to wait for support from Catherine.

Peter III and Catherine II

A conspiracy against the emperor began to be prepared even before his ascension to the throne. Chancellor Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin had the most hostile feelings towards Peter. He was especially annoyed by the fact that the future ruler openly sympathized with the Prussian king. When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna fell seriously ill, the chancellor began to prepare the ground for a palace coup and wrote to Field Marshal Apraksin to return to Russia. Elizaveta Petrovna recovered from her illness and deprived the Chancellor of his ranks. Bestuzhev-Ryumin fell out of favor and did not finish his job.

During the reign of Peter III, Prussian orders were introduced in the army, which could not but arouse the indignation of the officers. It is worth noting that the emperor did not make any attempts to get acquainted with Russian customs and ignored Orthodox rites. The conclusion of peace with Prussia in 1762, according to which Russia voluntarily gave up East Prussia, became another reason for dissatisfaction with Peter III. In addition, the emperor intended to send the guards to the Danish campaign in June 1762, the goals of which were completely incomprehensible to the officers.

Elizabeth Vorontsova

The conspiracy against the emperor was organized by guard officers, including Grigory, Fedor and Alexei Orlov. In connection with the controversial foreign policy of Peter III, many officials joined the conspiracy. By the way, the ruler received reports of an impending coup, but he did not take them seriously.

Alexey Orlov

On June 28, 1762 (according to the old style), Peter III went to Peterhof, where his wife was to meet him. However, Catherine was not there - in the early morning she left for St. Petersburg with Alexei Orlov. The guards, the senate and the synod swore allegiance to her. In a critical situation, the emperor was confused and did not follow sound advice to flee to the Baltic states, where units loyal to him were stationed. Peter III signed the abdication of the throne and, accompanied by the guards, was taken to Ropsha.

On July 6, 1762 (according to the old style), he died. Historians are unanimous in their opinion that Catherine did not give the order to kill Peter, while experts emphasize that she did not prevent this tragedy. According to the official version, Peter died of an illness - an autopsy allegedly revealed signs of heart dysfunction and apoplexy. But most likely his killer was Alexei Orlov. Peter was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Subsequently, several dozen people pretended to be the surviving emperor, the most famous of them was the leader of the Peasant War Emelyan Pugachev.