Why did Catherine II plan to introduce polygamy in the Russian Empire

Empress Catherine II came from her native Prussian hinterland to distant snow-covered Russia as a child. 15-year-old Sofia-Augusta-Frederika Anhalt-Tserbskaya, who was to become one of the most famous women in Russian history, faced a different religion, an unfamiliar language, an unusual climate, and most importantly, an absolutely alien mentality. In her position, it would be natural to listen to the advice of experienced people from the environment and stick to their origins, but Ekaterina went her own way, plunging headlong into a new, Russian reality, not always pleasant and absolutely illogical.

First of all, the girl refused Lutheranism, thereby violating the will of her father. Even seriously ill, Catherine did not change her decision and ordered to call an Orthodox, not a Lutheran priest. This trifle provided the young queen with respect and sympathy at court. Many such inconspicuous details provided her with the support of the majority years later, during the coup d'etat.

But Catherine managed to oust Peter III not only thanks to the respect of the aristocrats and personal charm. The Empress was supported by the British, allocating 100 thousand rubles for the coup — a huge amount at that time. Even then, Ekaterina did not refuse to cooperate with the British, receiving large sums from their embassy for her projects, as a payment for important state information.

Catherine's energy amazed her contemporaries. The Empress got up early and immediately drank very strong coffee. No one from her entourage could master the fragrant drink brewed for the mistress of the Russian Empire. Immediately after coffee, in the morning, the empress took up important state affairs.

During the long years of her reign, Catherine II conducted several wars, annexed new lands to the state and founded dozens of cities. The Crimea, taken from the Tatars, became the southern possessions of the empire, and Poland, which had been annoying Russia for centuries in the West, ceased to exist as an independent state.

The Russian army was increased from 162 thousand to 312 thousand people, and the fleet became eight times larger. The tsarina also did not forget about industry — during her reign, the production potential of the empire has more than doubled and Russia has become one of the largest exporters of cast iron, bread and textiles in Europe.

There was plenty of population in the villages, but people were needed for the army and industry. By the decree of the empress, orphanages were opened in the big cities of the empire, where orphans and foundlings were taken for upbringing. A special pension fund was created to help widows raising children.

Science was also involved — since the mortality rate from smallpox was very high, Catherine's decree introduced mandatory vaccination of the population. In order to prevent epidemics, quarantines were opened in commercial cities and ports, in which merchants and guests who arrived in the country had to leave for a certain time.

Catherine II was keenly interested in the experience of increasing the population in other countries. Very soon she came to the conclusion that the easiest and fastest way to solve the problem could be polygamy. Historians believe that this thought could have visited the empress during the war with Turkey, where Islam allowed to have as many wives as a man is able to feed.

The wise Empress understood that with a rush in Russia cannot solve this issue and "threw fishing rods" in secular and ecclesiastical society. Catherine herself was outwardly a good Christian, observed holidays and fasts, attended services. But in fact, under this whole deanery, a pragmatic atheist was hiding, gradually advancing on the church and depriving it of influence on the state.

The Holy Synod met in this building

Being an ardent admirer of the ideas of Voltaire and Diderot, the empress perceived religion only as a convenient tool for controlling the masses. It is known that in 1767, the chief prosecutor of the Synod, Ivan Ivanovich Melissino, appointed by the Empress herself, filed a lawsuit The Senate has a bill concerning the reform of the church.

The document also included the cancellation of many religious holidays, the gradual abolition of monasticism and the revision of the clergy's attire in the direction of "more decent and modern dress". The tsarina also advocated simplifying divorces, which were allowed only with the approval of the church and only if there was a proven adultery of one of the spouses.

Metropolitan Arseniy Matsievich

All these innovations were supposed to prepare the ground for the main reform — the introduction of polygamy. But the plans of the progressive empress were not destined to come true — the Synod did not approve the changes, and a serious conflict arose with one of the most influential clergymen, Metropolitan Arseniy Matsievich of Rostov.

Metropolitan Arseny is in prison

The Empress cruelly took revenge on the oppositionist, calling him a "liar", and then imprisoned him in prison. Matsievich died in prison, but he did not change his principles, maintaining his authority among the clergy and laity until the last day. Looking at the persistence of the metropolitan and his supporters, Catherine realized that polygamy would not be tolerated in Russia and did not think about this innovation anymore.