Faces of history
Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof. N. N. Ge, 1871
Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich was born on February 18, 1690 in the village of Preobrazhensky near Moscow in the family of Tsar Peter I and Tsarina Evdokia Feodorovna, nee Lopukhina. Alexei's early childhood was spent in the company of his mother and grandmother, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, and after September 1698, when Evdokia was imprisoned in the Suzdal Monastery, Alexei was taken in by his aunt, Princess Natalya Alekseevna. The boy was distinguished by curiosity and the ability to learn foreign languages, by nature he was calm, prone to contemplation. He early began to be afraid of his father, whose energy, irascibility and propensity for transformation repelled rather than attracted Alexei.
The prince was educated by foreigners - first the German Neugebauer, then Baron Huissen. At the same time, Peter tried to involve his son in military affairs and periodically took him with him to the front of the Northern War.
But in 1705, Huyssen entered the diplomatic service, and the 15-year-old prince, in essence, was left to his own devices. His confessor, father Jacob, began to exert a great influence on him. On his advice, in 1707, the prince visited his mother in the Suzdal monastery, which caused the wrath of Peter. The father began to load his son with various assignments related to the army - for example, Alexei visited Smolensk, Moscow, Vyazma, Kyiv, Voronezh, Sumy with inspections.
At the end of 1709, the tsar sent his son to Dresden, under the pretext of further study of the sciences, but in fact wanting to arrange his marriage to a German princess. Sophia-Charlotte of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel was chosen as a candidate, and although Alexei did not have special sympathy for her, he did not argue with his father's will. In October 1711, in Torgau, in the presence of Peter I, Alexei married Sophia. As expected, this marriage did not become happy. In 1714, Alexei and Sophia had a daughter, Natalia, and on October 12, 1715, a son, Peter. Ten days later, Sophia succumbed to the effects of childbirth.
By this time, the king was already very dissatisfied with his son. He was annoyed both by Alexei's addiction to wine and his association with people who were a covert opposition to Peter and his policies. The behavior of the heir before the exam, which Alexei had to pass after returning from abroad in 1713, caused a particular fury of the king. The prince was so afraid of this test that he decided to shoot himself through his left hand and thus save himself from having to make drawings. The shot was unsuccessful, the hand was only seared with gunpowder. Peter became so angry that he severely beat his son and forbade him to appear in the palace.
In the end, the tsar threatened to deprive Alexei of hereditary rights if he did not change his behavior. In response, Alexei himself renounced the throne, not only for himself, but also for his newborn son. “Before I see myself,” he wrote, “I’m inconvenient and indecent for this matter, I’m also very deprived of memory (without which it’s possible to do nothing) and with all the powers of the mind and body (from various diseases) I have weakened and become indecent to the rule of so many people, where it requires a man not as rotten as me. For the sake of the legacy (God grant you long-term health!) Russian after you (even though I didn’t have a brother, and now, thank God, I have a brother, to whom God grant health) I don’t pretend and I won’t pretend in the future. Peter I was dissatisfied with this answer and once again urged his son to either change his behavior or take the veil as a monk. The prince consulted with his closest friends and, having heard from them a significant phrase that “the hood will not be nailed to the head”, agreed to be tonsured. However, the tsar, who was serving abroad, gave Alexei another six months to think.
It was then that the prince matured a plan to flee abroad. The closest assistant to the prince was the former close associate of Peter I, Alexei Vasilyevich Kikin. In September 1716, Peter sent a letter to his son, ordering him to immediately arrive in Copenhagen to take part in hostilities against Sweden, and Alexei decided to use this pretext to escape without interference. On September 26, 1716, together with his mistress Efrosinya Fedorova, her brother and three servants, the prince left St. Petersburg for Libau (now Liepaja, Latvia), from where he went to Vienna via Danzig. This choice was not accidental - the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, whose residence was in Vienna, was married to the sister of the late wife of Alexei. In Vienna, the prince appeared to the Austrian Vice-Chancellor Count Shenborn and asked for asylum. As a token of gratitude for the hospitality, Alexei offered the Austrians the following plan: he, Alexei, waits for the death of Peter in Austria, and then, with the help of the Austrians, occupies the Russian throne, after which he dissolves the army, fleet, transfers the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow and refuses to conduct an offensive foreign policy .
In Vienna, they became interested in this plan, but they did not dare to openly provide shelter to the fugitive - Charles VI did not enter into a quarrel with Russia. Therefore, under the guise of a criminal Kokhanovsky, Alexei was sent to the Tyrolean castle of Ehrenberg. From there, through secret channels, he sent to Russia several letters addressed to influential representatives of the clergy, in which he condemned his father's policy and promised to return the country to the old path.
Meanwhile, the search for the fugitive began in Russia. Peter I ordered the Russian resident in Vienna, Veselovsky, to find the prince at all costs, and he soon found out that Erenberg was the residence of Alexei. At the same time, the Russian tsar entered into correspondence with Charles VI, demanding that Alexei be returned to Russia "for paternal correction." The emperor evasively replied that he did not know anything about Alexei, but, apparently, he decided not to contact the dangerous fugitive further, because they decided to send Alexei from Austria to the fortress of St. Elmo near Naples. However, Russian agents "figured out" the fugitive prince there too. In September 1717, a small Russian delegation headed by Count P. A. Tolstoy came to Naples and began to persuade Alexei to surrender. But he was adamant and did not want to return to Russia. Then I had to go for a military trick - the Russians bribed the secretary of the Neapolitan viceroy, and he "secretly" told Alexei that the Austrians were not going to protect him, they were planning to separate him from his mistress and that Peter I himself was already going to Naples. Hearing about this, Alexei fell into a panic and began to seek contacts with the Swedes. But he was reassured - they promised that he would be allowed to marry his mistress and lead a private life in Russia. Peter's letter of November 17, in which the tsar promised complete forgiveness, finally convinced Alexei that everything was in order. On January 31, 1718, the prince arrived in Moscow, and on February 3, he met with his father. In the presence of the senators, Alexei repented of his deed, and Peter confirmed his decision to forgive him, setting only two conditions: the renunciation of the rights to the throne and the extradition of all accomplices who helped the prince to escape. On the same day, Alexei renounced his right to the throne in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral in favor of his three-year-old son Peter.
On February 4, the interrogations of Alexei began. In the "interrogation sheets" he told in detail everything about his accomplices, in fact, shifting all the blame on them, and when they were executed, he decided that the worst was over. With a light heart, Alexey began to prepare for the wedding with Efrosiniya Fedorova. But she, who was returning to Russia separately from the prince due to childbirth, was immediately arrested and, during interrogations, told so much about her lover that she actually signed his death warrant. Now it became clear to Peter that his son was not only influenced by his environment, but he himself played an active role in the conspiracy. At a confrontation with Fedorova, Alexei initially denied, but then confirmed her testimony. On June 13, 1718, Peter I withdrew from the investigation, asking the clergy for advice on what to do with his traitor son, and ordering the Senate to give him a fair sentence. The Supreme Court of 127 people decided that “the prince concealed his rebellious intent against his father and his sovereign, and the intentional search from ancient years, and the search for the throne of the father and in his belly, through various insidious inventions and pretense, and the hope of mob and desire father and sovereign of his imminent death. On June 25, guarded by four guard non-commissioned officers, the prince was taken from the Peter and Paul Fortress to the Senate, where he heard the death sentence.
Further events are covered with a veil of secrecy so far. According to the official version, on June 26, 1718, at 6 pm, Alexei Petrovich died suddenly at the age of 28 from a “strike” (brain hemorrhage). But modern researchers suggest that the true cause of Alexei's death was torture. It is also possible that he was killed on the orders of Peter I. The prince was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the presence of his father. The son of Alexei Petrovich ascended the throne of the Russian Empire in 1727 under the name of Peter II and ruled for three years. In his reign, the official rehabilitation of Alexei took place.
Like many historical figures with a complex and unusual fate, the figure of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich has long been a "tidbit" for historical novelists, playwrights, fans of "conspiracy theories", and more recently film directors. There are many interpretations of Alexei's life - from the unconditional condemnation of "complete insignificance and a traitor" to an equally unconditional sympathy for a subtle and educated young man, ruthlessly trampled on by his own father. But no matter how subsequent generations treated him, there is no doubt that Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich was one of the most mysterious and dramatic figures in Russian history.
Vyacheslav Bondarenko, Ekaterina Chestnova
Is Peter I to blame for the death of his son Alexei Petrovich?
ALEXEY PETROVICH (1690-1718) - Tsarevich, the eldest son of Tsar Peter I. Alexei was the son of Peter from his first marriage with E. Lopukhina and was brought up in an environment hostile to Peter. Peter wanted to make his son continue his work - the radical reform of Russia, but Alexei avoided this in every possible way. The clergy and boyars surrounding Alexei turned him against his father. Peter threatened Alexei to deprive him of his inheritance and imprison him in a monastery. In 1716, Alexei, fearing his father's wrath, fled abroad - first to Vienna, then to Naples. With threats and promises, Peter returned his son to Russia, forced him to abdicate the throne. However, Alexei did it with joy.
“Father,” he wrote to his wife Efrosinya, “took me to eat and treats me mercifully! God grant that in the future it will be the same, and that I may wait for you in joy. God forbid that I live happily with you in the countryside, because you and I did not want anything, only to live in Rozhdestvenka; you yourself know that I do not want anything, if only to live with you to death.
In exchange for abdication and admission of guilt, Peter gave his son the word not to punish him. But the abdication did not help, and Alexei's desire to get away from political storms did not come true. Peter ordered an investigation into his son's case. Alexey simply told about everything he knew and planned. Many people from Alexei's entourage were tortured and executed. The prince did not escape torture either. On June 14, 1718, he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and on June 19, torture began. The first time they gave him 25 blows with a whip and asked if everything that he showed earlier was true. On June 22, new testimony was taken from Alexei, in which he confessed his plan to overthrow the power of Peter, to raise an uprising throughout the country, since the people, in his opinion, stood for old beliefs and customs, against his father's reforms. True, some historians believe that some of the testimony could have been falsified by the interrogators to please the king. In addition, as contemporaries testify, Alexei was already suffering from a mental disorder at that time. The Frenchman de Lavie, for example, believed that “his brain is out of order”, which is proved by “all his actions.” In his testimony, the tsarevich agreed that the supposedly Austrian emperor Charles VI promised him armed assistance in the struggle for the Russian crown.
The denouement was short.
On June 24, Alexei was again tortured, and on the same day the supreme court, which consisted of the generals, senators and the Holy Synod (a total of 120 people), sentenced the prince to death. True, some of the judges from the clergy actually evaded an explicit decision about death - they cited extracts from the Bible of two kinds: both about the execution of a son who disobeyed his father, and about the forgiveness of a prodigal son. The solution to this question: what to do with the son? - they left it to their father - Peter I. The civilians spoke out bluntly: to execute.
But even after this decision, Alexei was not left alone. The next day, Grigory Skornyakov-Pisarev, sent by the Tsar, came to him for interrogation: what do the extracts from the Roman scientist and historian Varro, found in the papers of the prince, mean. The prince said that he made these extracts for his own use, "to see that before it was not the way it is now," but he was not going to show them to the people.
But the matter did not end there either. On June 26, at 8 o'clock in the morning, Peter himself came to the fortress to the prince with nine close associates. Alexei was again tortured, trying to find out some more details. The prince was tortured for 3 hours, then they left. And in the afternoon, at 6 o'clock, as it is written in the books of the office of the garrison of the Peter and Paul Fortress, Alexei Petrovich passed away. 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.
Opinions about the true cause of Alexei's death differ. Some historians believe that he died from the unrest experienced, others come to the conclusion that the prince was strangled on the direct orders of Peter in order to avoid public execution. The historian N. Kostomarov mentions a letter written, as it says, by Alexander Rumyantsev, which tells how Rumyantsev, Tolstoy and Buturlin, at the royal command, strangled the prince with pillows (although the historian doubts the authenticity of the letter).
The next day, June 27, was the anniversary of the Battle of Poltava, and Peter arranged a celebration - a hearty feast, fun. However, really, why should he be discouraged - after all, Peter was not a pioneer here. Not to mention ancient examples, not so long ago, another Russian tsar, Ivan the Terrible, killed his son with his own hands.
Alexei was buried on June 30. Peter I was present at the funeral together with his wife, stepmother of the prince. There was no mourning.
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 a dangerous illness, 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 the family tree of the Romanovs, one can see that the children of Peter I were called by 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 princess after the proclamation of the 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 of the palace coup in 1741, she 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 was infectious diseases and epidemics.
.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 "in secret" told the prince that his extradition to Russia was a settled issue
And then I admonished the secretary of the viceroy, who was used in all transfers and the man is much smart, 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 misconduct committed (“Later yesterday, 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 hints of Alexei's attempts to contact Charles XII slipped through. 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 detail. 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 were not yet published.
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, Alexey 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 side effects 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)
Name Tsarevich Alexei, condemned to death by order of his father, Tsar Peter I, is surrounded by a mass of speculation and rumors. Scientists are still arguing whether he actually initiated the preparations for the seizure of power in Russia, or whether he became an unwitting hostage of his entourage, dissatisfied with the policy of the monarch. There is no clarity in how he died. The tsarevich was born on February 18 (28) February 1690 in the village of Preobrazhensky. Peter I met the birth of his son with joy, although his relationship with his wife, Tsarina Evdokia Feodorovna, was no longer cloudless by this time. Not much is known about the childhood years of the prince. His mother and grandmother, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, were engaged in his upbringing. Peter himself had practically no time left for his son. In the first years of the prince’s life, his father was more interested in military amusements in Preobrazhensky, then building a fleet, arranging a state and military campaigns to the south in order to recapture Azov. . But a year later, Peter decided to seriously engage in the education and upbringing of his son, entrusting Alexei to the care of the German Neugebauer. Apparently, the activities of the educator, about whom Menshikov and Alexei's associates complained to the tsar, did not satisfy Peter. At the beginning of 1703, a new teacher, Baron Huissen, was selected for the prince. According to Huissen, the prince was friendly, capable and diligent in his studies. At this time, Peter tried to bring his son closer to him, took him on trips to Arkhangelsk, on military campaigns to Nyenschantz and Narva. Apparently, sincerity in relation to his son Peter was still not enough, and the military concerns of his father did not find much response from Alexei. In 1705, when the prince was 15 years old, he was left without experienced mentors at all. His entourage consisted of the Naryshkins, Kolychevs and clerics, many of whom openly expressed dissatisfaction with the tsar's policies. Foreigners also appeared next to the prince, but by no means from among Peter's closest associates. It was during this period that Alexei, who was constantly reminded of the tragic fate of his mother and complained about the violation of the original Russian order, began to move further and further away from his father.
Peter, who saw in his son the recipient of his labors, tried to introduce him to the course of state tasks, began to give him various tasks that did not find a special response in Alexei's soul. The fate of his son, including marriage, the tsar sought to decide himself, not particularly considering the opinion of the heir to the throne. In 1710, Peter sent his son abroad. The main purpose of the trip was not teaching science and preparing for state activity, but marriage. And this time, the king did not take into account the opinion of his son, since the bride had already been chosen, and the preliminary conditions for marriage had been agreed. Having escaped from Russia, Alexei plunged headlong into the carefree life of the Polish court, fortunately he found a companion and mentor - the Polish prince. But Peter quickly ended this free life, hastening the marriage of his son to Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, which took place in October 1711. The Tsar did not allow Alexei to stay in the company of his young wife for a long time. From Wolfenbuttel, he sent him first to Pomerania, where the fighting was going on, then new assignments followed, most of them related to the ongoing Northern War. Charlotte even had to go to Russia alone, her husband at that time controlled the construction of ships on Ladoga. Naturally, Alexey perceived this attitude of his father painfully.
Alexei's family life did not work out, although in 1714 his wife had a daughter, who was named after her great-grandmother Natalia, and the following year a son named after his grandfather Peter. Shortly after the birth of her son, Charlotte died. The Crown Princess, this title was given to Charlotte by Peter upon her arrival in Russia, was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Children of Tsarevich Alexei Peter and Natalya in childhood, in the form of Apollo and Diana(artist Louis Caravaque, 1722)
After the birth of his son and the death of his wife, Alexei's relationship with his father finally deteriorated. This is largely due to the fact that Tsarina Catherine, who by this time had become the legal wife of Peter I, gave birth to a son, to whom the tsar was inclined to transfer the throne, bypassing his eldest son. This is not least due to the fact that Peter did not see in his eldest son a person capable of continuing his work. Naturally, Catherine also played a certain role, who wanted to see her son on the throne. Alexei did not dare to confront his father in Russia, and under the influence of the environment, which persuaded him to take decisive action, he fled to Vienna in 1717, from where he was transported by the Austrians to Naples. Perhaps Peter would have forgiven his son for an unauthorized departure abroad and even possible negotiations for help in seizing power in Russia after the death of the tsar. It seems that Alexei did not intend to forcibly overthrow his father, but his hopes were not without foundation. Peter at that time was seriously ill, and it was quite possible to count on military assistance from European monarchs.
Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof. 1871. Ge N.N.
Russian intelligence worked well in those days, and Peter soon became aware of his son's whereabouts. An envoy of the tsar was sent to Alexei, who gave him a letter from Peter, in which the rebellious prince was promised forgiveness of guilt if he returned to Russia: “If you are afraid of me, then I reassure you and promise God and his court that there will be no punishment for you, but the best love I will show you, if you listen to 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 commit.
Alexey refused to return, then Peter demonstrated that he does not throw words into the wind, and the promise not to leave “all ways” is not an empty phrase. Through bribery and complex political intrigues, Alexei was forced to return to Russia. Peter deprived his son of the right to the throne, but promised forgiveness if he confessed his guilt and extradited all the participants in the conspiracy: and if anything is concealed, then you will be deprived of your life.”
It is difficult to say what Peter would have done in the event of a detailed disclosure by his son of all the circumstances of the escape. There is a high probability that in this case Alexei would have been sent to a monastery. But the prince tried to significantly reduce his guilt, blaming those close to him for everything. It was a mistake on his part. It is now difficult to judge the impartiality of the investigation, but it proved that Alexei concealed the negotiations to involve the Austrian army in the seizure of power and his intention to lead a possible rebellion of Russian troops. He confirmed all this, although, according to the materials of the investigation, no torture was used against him at that stage. By the way, the information that he negotiated military assistance with Sweden, with which Russia was at war, did not surface during the investigation. This became known much later.
But even what was proved and confirmed by the prince himself was enough to condemn him to death as a traitor in accordance with the laws then in force in Russia. It was officially announced that Alexei died on June 26, 1718 from a stroke (heart attack) in the Peter and Paul Fortress, fully repenting of his deed. However, there is documented evidence that after the verdict was passed, Alexei was tortured in an effort to obtain additional information about those involved in the conspiracy. Perhaps the prince died, unable to withstand the torture. It is possible that he was secretly killed by the jailers on the orders of the king. They buried Tsarevich Alexei in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where his wife had rested a few years earlier.
Fate turned out to be ruthless to the children of the prince. Natalia lived only 14 years and died in 1728. The son of Alexei, Peter, on May 6 (17), 1727, ascended the throne after the death of Catherine I, becoming the emperor of all Russia. In early childhood, Peter II did not enjoy the attention and care of his grandfather, who obviously saw in his grandson a potential carrier of the same anti-reformist principle that Tsarevich Alexei embodied. The successor of Peter I on the Throne, Empress Catherine I, understanding the need to take into account the legitimate interests of the last male representative of the Romanov dynasty, indicated him in her will as her first-priority heir. Emperor Peter II acceded to the Throne on May 6/19, 1727. Now the "chicks of Petrov's nest" - Archbishop Feofan (Prokopovich) and Baron A. Osterman - took up the upbringing of the young Sovereign. His Serene Highness Prince A. Menshikov, in an effort to strengthen his own position, wanted to arrange the wedding of the Emperor with his daughter Maria. On May 24/June 6, 1727, the betrothal took place. But soon Peter II, dissatisfied with the constant guardianship of A. Menshikov, took advantage of the support of the clan of princes Dolgorukov and exiled the once powerful temporary worker along with his entire family to the city of Berezov. At the end of 1727, the Emperor's court moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow, where on February 24/March 8, 1728, the coronation took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Taking advantage of the youth and inexperience of Peter II, the princes Dolgorukov distracted him from state affairs with all sorts of amusements, hunting and travel. Despite this, the Emperor began to show interest in politics. According to contemporaries, he had an excellent mind, a very cordial soul, and outwardly handsome and majestic. The sovereign did indeed partly justify the fears of Peter I the Great in the sense of the desire to restore some aspects of old Moscow life. But he did not in any way intend to eradicate the positive that the Emperor-Transformer left behind. During the reign of Peter II, the repressive Preobrazhensky Prikaz was liquidated, the collection of the poll tax was streamlined, Ukraine was granted greater autonomy and even the power of the Hetman was restored, the Livonian nobility was allowed to gather at the Seim. The sovereign was zealous about the issues of church deanery and forbade the clergy to wear secular clothes. Peter II loved and revered his grandmother Tsaritsa Evdokia Feodorovna and allowed her to move from the Ladoga Monastery to the Novodevichy Monastery in Moscow. The Dolgorukovs sought to marry the Emperor with Princess E. Dolgorukova, but this wedding was not destined to take place either, this time due to a tragic accident. On the Feast of the Epiphany in 1730, during the Great Blessing of the Waters, Peter II caught a cold and, due to the weakening of the body, soon contracted smallpox. Initially, the disease was considered harmless, but suddenly it became severe. When it became clear that the Sovereign was dying, the princes Dolgorukovs made an attempt to seize power and proclaim his bride to be the Heir to the Throne, but were not supported in this by other representatives of the aristocracy. Emperor Peter II died in Moscow, being unconscious and therefore leaving no indication of further succession to the throne. Buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. With his death, the direct male branch of the Romanov dynasty died out. From now on, the Throne could only pass through female lines.
), was born on February 18, 1690. From childhood, Alexei was with his mother and grandmother (Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina), and after the death of the latter (1694) he was under the exclusive influence of Evdokia, unloved by Peter. From 1696, Alexei Petrovich began to learn to read and write using Korion Istomin's primer; the leader of his upbringing was Nikifor Vyazemsky. In September 1698, the prince's mother was sent to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery and 10 months later she was tonsured, and Alexei was taken to the village of Preobrazhenskoye and placed under the supervision of Peter I's sister, Princess Natalia Alekseevna.
Peter dreamed of sending Alexei Petrovich to Dresden for appropriate education, but changed his mind and in June 1701 hired the Saxon citizen Martin Neugebauer "for instruction in the sciences and moralizing" the prince. Neugebauer did not stay long as an educator (until 1702). In 1703, a certain Giesen was already appointed chief chamberlain of the prince under the command of Prince Menshikov. In general, the upbringing of the prince was the most stupid. The influence of discontented adherents of Russian antiquity and mother overpowered others. Peter I did not notice much what his young son was doing and demanded from him only the execution of his orders. Alexey Petrovich was afraid of his father, did not love him, but with great reluctance obeyed his orders. At the end of 1706 or at the very beginning of 1707, Alexei Petrovich arranged a meeting with his mother, for which Peter I was very angry with his son.
Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. Portrait by J. G. Tannauer, 1710s
Since 1707, the father demands that the tsarevich help him in some matters: in February of this year, the tsar sends Alexei Petrovich to Smolensk to prepare provisions and recruit recruits, in June the tsarevich informs Peter about the amount of bread in Pskov in view of the provision of provisions. Alexey Petrovich writes from Smolensk about the departure of archers and soldiers. In October we see him in Moscow, where he was ordered to supervise the fortification of the Kremlin and be present in the office of ministers. In the same 1707, through Gisen, the marriage of the prince with Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the sister of the German Empress, began, but the teachings of Alexei Petrovich had not yet stopped. In January 1708, N. Vyazemsky reported to Peter "about the educational, in German, history and geography, and government studies of the prince." This year, Alexei Petrovich ordered in Preobrazhensky "regarding officers and undergrowths", wrote to his father "about the order regarding the outrageous letters of followers, gunpowder, the collection of infantry regiments and their uniforms." At the same time, Peter I forces Alexei Petrovich to take a more active part in pacifying the Bulavinsky rebellion. In 1709 we find the prince in Little Russia; he is encouraged there to energetic activity, but he is weary of it and falls ill.
Soon after his recovery, Alexei Petrovich leaves for Moscow. In 1710, through Warsaw and Dresden, the prince traveled to Karlsbad, during the journey he met his betrothed bride. The purpose of the trip was, according to Peter I, “to learn German and French, geometry and fortification”, which was done in Dresden after a trip to Karlsbad. In the spring of 1711, Alexei Petrovich was in Braunschweig, and in October of the same year the marriage of the prince and the princess, who remained in the Evangelical Lutheran religion, took place; Peter I from Torgau also came to the wedding. The father really hoped that the marriage would change his son and put new energy into him, but his calculations turned out to be wrong: Princess Charlotte was not created for such a role. Just as Alexei Petrovich had no desire for fatherly activities, so his wife had no desire to become Russian and act in the interests of Russia and the royal family, using her influence on her husband. Husband and wife were similar to each other - the inertia of nature; energy, offensive movement against obstacles were alien to both. The nature of both demanded to run away, to lock themselves away from any work, from any struggle. This flight from each other was enough for the marriage to be morally barren.
In July 1714, the Crown Princess had a daughter, Natalia. Alexey Petrovich was abroad. By the same time, the prince's relationship with the captured serf maiden of his teacher, Vyazemsky, Efrosinya Fedorova, as well as the final discord between father and son, dates back to this time. On the eve of the birth of Alexei Petrovich's son Peter (the future Emperor Peter II - October 12, 1715), Peter I writes a letter to the prince reproaching him for neglecting the war and threatening to deprive him of the throne due to stubbornness. Shortly after the birth of his son, Alexei Petrovich's wife fell ill and died. Relations between the prince and Peter became even more aggravated; On October 31, 1715, Alexei Petrovich, after consulting with his favorites Kikin and Dolgorukov, answered the tsar that he was ready to renounce the inheritance. 4 days before, Peter had a son, Peter, from his new companion, Catherine.
In January 1716, the tsar wrote to Alexei Petrovich "cancel your temper or be a monk." The prince replies that he is ready to have his hair cut. Peter gives him six months to think about it, but at that time they are already beginning to prepare the prince's flight: Kikin goes abroad and promises to find refuge there. Peter from abroad writes (August 1715) the third formidable letter with a decisive command to either get a haircut immediately, or go to him to participate in hostilities. Alexei Petrovich slowly got ready to go along with Efrosinya. In Danzig, the prince disappeared. Arriving through Prague to Vienna, he introduced himself to the Austrian Vice-Chancellor, Count. Shenborn, complained about his father and asked for patronage. The request was accepted (Emperor Charles VI was the brother-in-law of Alexei Petrovich). The prince was first sent to the town of Veperburg, and then to Tyrol, to the Ehrenberg castle.
In the spring of 1717, after a long unsuccessful search, Peter I found out that Alexei Petrovich was hiding in the emperor's possessions. Diplomatic negotiations did not lead to anything: they refused to extradite the prince. Rumyantsev told the tsar where Alexei Petrovich was; began to follow him. In April 1717, the prince moved with his close associates to the castle of Sant'Elmo, near Naples. Peter soon sent to the Caesar Tolstoy and Rumyantsev to demand the crown prince, threatening war, at the same time, the tsar promised Alexei Petrovich forgiveness if he returned to Russia. In August, Tolstoy and Rumyantsev were allowed a meeting with the prince. In September, all efforts to convince Alexei Petrovich to return to his homeland did not lead to anything. Finally, in October, threats, deceptions and cunning managed to convince him. Alexey Petrovich asked only that he be allowed to live in the village, and Efrosinya was left with him. Peter I promised this.
On January 1, 1718, the tsarevich was already in Danzig, and by February 1, in Moscow. On February 3, Alexei Petrovich met with his father and abdicated. A search began in the case of the prince, to which Kikin, Afanasiev, Glebov, Bishop Dosifei, Voronov, who were close to him, were involved. V. Dolgoruky, many others, as well as the ex-wife of Peter I, Evdokia Lopukhina, and Princess Maria Alekseevna. Tsarevich has not yet been interrogated or tortured. On March 18, Peter I and his son went to Petersburg. Efrosinya was also brought here, but without any meeting with Alexei Petrovich and, despite the fact that she was pregnant, she was sent to the Peter and Paul Fortress (there is no news about Efrosinya's child later). Efrosinya testified, revealing all the behavior of Alexei Petrovich abroad, all the talk of the prince about the death of his father and a possible rebellion against him.
Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof. Painting by N. Ge, 1871
In the month of May, Peter I himself began to arrange interrogations and face-to-face confrontations between Alexei Petrovich and Efrosinya, and ordered the tsarevich to be tortured. On June 14, Alexei Petrovich was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he was tortured. On June 24, 1718, the prince was sentenced to death by 127 members of the supreme court. June 26 at 8 o'clock in the morning began to gather in the garrison: Peter I, Menshikov, Dolgoruky, Golovkin, Apraksin, Pushkin, Streshnev, Tolstoy, Shafirov, Buturlin, and Aleksey Petrovich was tormented. At 11 o'clock, the crowd dispersed. “On the same afternoon at 6 o’clock, being under guard in the Trubetskoy peal in the garrison, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich reposed.”
On June 30, 1718, in the evening, in the presence of the tsar and tsarina, the body of the tsarevich was interred in the Peter and Paul Cathedral next to the coffin of his late wife. There was no mourning.
