Courland peasant woman and executed tartan: a guide to the mistress of Peter I

The first Russian Emperor, Peter I was a big fan of not only the construction of ships and government reform, and women. Contemporaries wrote that he made "bed" registry, with which the love wins. Wife Catherine looked at a hobby her husband through his fingers. She knew that her status as Empress shaky. The former Livonian peasant woman and notation girl could according to his whim to lose everything, so he chose not to pay attention to infidelity.

Despite the terrible temper and temper, Peter was a clever person and prefer such mistresses. We offer you to get acquainted with the women who managed to win the first Russian Emperor.

In 1693, Franz Lefort — mate and close friend Peter introduced him to Anna Mons. The daughter of a German jeweler pleased the king, and soon became a favorite. The king bestowed girl with expensive gifts, and after returning from the Grand Embassy in 1698 forcibly tonsured his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina in nuns. Peter was not afraid of the judgment of the people and the Orthodox Church, which openly despised.

The Emperor built for the mistress of the house in the German quarter of Moscow and openly cohabited with Anna. Peter admitted that "educate" the girl and wanted to marry her. In April 1703 on the Neva river drowned the Ambassador of Saxony Koenigseg. The body of the deceased was found only in six months, but his love letters surfaced immediately. Things Konigsee found a letter from Anna Mons and her gift locket.

Alleged portrait of Anna Mons

It turned out that while the king was travelling through Europe, the mistress cheated on him with the Saxon envoy. Royal friend Menshikov called her vile, a public woman, and admitted that he committed adultery with her. Anna Mons was put under house arrest, which lasted seven years. In 1711 a cheater married the Ambassador of Prussia Keyserling, but a few months later her husband died. In 1714 Anna Mons died of consumption.

In 1702, the Russian troops stormed the fortress of Marienburg, which was protected by the Swedish garrison. Among the captives was the pastor Ernst Gluck and his servant Mar. The girl was different charm and intelligence and became the mistress of field Marshal Boris Sheremetev, and then the best friend of the Emperor — the breastplate of Alexander Menshikov. My friend Martha said Peter, and 1703 former laundress and notation girl became the mistress of the ruler of Russia.

Unknown artist. Peter takes Menshikov Catherine

Contemporaries remembered that Martha had a pleasant appearance, chubby figure, black hair and eyes, and most importantly — her charm captivated the king. The girl was accompanied Peter in military campaigns and never left him even in moments of danger. Mar converted to Orthodoxy and became Catherine, and in 1712, the king married her. In 1723, Peter the great declared that in the event of death, the throne will pass to his wife.

The Emperor continued to take a mistress, but respect for Catherine he had immense. She bore her husband of 11 children, of whom survived only two girls, Anna and Elizabeth. In 1724, it was discovered the fact of the intimate connection between Catherine and brother of Anna Mons, a William, who by that time became a confidant of the Emperor.

According to legend, Peter personally brought to the room of the wife of the tray with a severed head of her lover. A year later the Emperor died, and in the course of the revolution the Russian crown went to Catherine. So former mistress became the first Russian Empress.

From 1713 to 1715, the mistress of the king was the maid of honor, wife Mary Hamilton. Relations with the beauty of the ancient Scottish family, the Emperor was combined with another lady — Avdotya Chernysheva. Maria soon tired of the Emperor, and became the mistress of his servant Ivan Orlov. The girl became pregnant three times and has twice terminated a pregnancy herbal decoctions. The third pregnancy ended with the birth of a baby, which Maria was strangled.

Paul Svedomsky. "Mary Hamilton before the execution"

In 1718, a maid accused of stealing things Catherine and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul fortress, where, under torture, she confessed to everything. At court there were rumors that the dead baby was from the sovereign. So Maria decided to have it but Peter child is not recognized. In 1719, Mary Hamilton was beheaded, for which the king himself went to the scaffold and kissed her on the lips. The head was preserved in alcohol and sent to storage in the basement of the Academy of Sciences.

In 1708, Peter began a relationship with a 15-year-old Avdotya Rzhev, which lasted until his death. A year after first meeting the king married girl married to an officer of the guard Chernyshevsky and gave her a huge dowry. Legally married Rzhevskaya gave birth to seven children, that would not hurt her to see Peter at his Beck and call. The paternity of some of her offspring attributed to the sovereign.

Avdotya Ivanovna Chernysheva

Peter called his lover "by Avdotya a battle-ax" and knew about her numerous love interests, because they were actively rumors. Contemporaries wrote that she had even infected the king of venereal disease.

1721 began an affair with the Emperor daughter of the Emperor Wallachian Dimitrie Cantemir. Mary turned 20, she knew English, Greek, Latin, studied philosophy, was fond of music, painting, astronomy, mathematics. When in 1721 Peter I went in the Persian company, the mistress and her father accompanied the Emperor. Maria got pregnant, which caused fears of Catherine. In the case of the birth of her son Peter could divorce her and marry the mistress.

Portrait Of Maria Dmitrievna Cantemir

During his campaign, the Emperor left his pregnant girlfriend in Astrakhan, where she has one version had a miscarriage and another baby died immediately after birth. Peter lost interest in the girl and ended the relationship. But resumed them in 1724, when Catherine I started to cheat on him with a Mons. After the death of the Emperor, Maria fell into disgrace Empress Catherine I, and the rest of your life rejected all offers of marriage.

Relationship with Maria Matveeva Peter began in the period between 1715 and 1720. The girl was descended from an ancient noble family, distinguished for intelligence, beauty, danced well and knew French. Contemporaries remembered that the Emperor loved her and was jealous of her, that the Emperor was not typical.

Portrait of Maria Rumyantseva at the age of

Once Peter had beaten the mistress and said that I will marry the man who will be able to keep her in line and will not allow to have lovers, but him alone. The Emperor kept his word, and in 1720 was given to Maria for his friend major-General Alexander Rumyantsev.

In marriage she had three daughters and a son she was in honour of the Emperor was called Peter. In the future he became a famous military leader, and many historians considered him the son of Peter I. Mary died on the 89th year of life, and until his death was actively involved in Palace intrigues.

The title of the most loving ruler with Peter I can compete Ivan the terrible, which is only one of the wives was seven.