Empress Elizabeth of Russia: The Scandalous Life of a Ruthless Ruler

The Rise of a Controversial Empress

The Russian Empire saw its fair share of extravagant and scandalous rulers, but few could match the reputation of Empress Elizabeth. Her reign was marked by bottomless vanity, unimaginable cruelty, and a penchant for luxury that pushed the empire to its limits. Yet, despite her controversial legacy, Elizabeth's impact on Russian history cannot be understated.

A Royal Birth Shrouded in Scandal

Born on December 29, 1709, Elizabeth's very existence was steeped in controversy. Her father was none other than Peter the Great, but her mother Catherine was a peasant. This mixed heritage would shape Elizabeth's life and reign in profound ways.

From an early age, Elizabeth was her father's favorite. She inherited his vivacious personality and striking looks, earning the adoration of the court. However, her upbringing was far from traditional for a royal child.

An Unconventional Education

Despite being the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth received a surprisingly limited formal education. Her father, recognizing her distant claim to the throne, opted to leave much of her upbringing to her peasant mother. This decision would have far-reaching consequences for Elizabeth's future rule.

What Elizabeth lacked in formal education, she made up for with natural charm and beauty. Foreign ministers described her as "fair with light brown hair, large sprightly blue eyes, fine teeth, and a pretty mouth." Her vivacious personality and zest for life made her a favorite among courtiers and diplomats alike.

A Series of Heartbreaks

Elizabeth's early life was marked by a series of tragic events that would shape her character and fuel her ambition.

The Loss of Family

In 1724, at the age of 15, Elizabeth was betrothed to Charles Augustus, a prince from a small German principality. Though not the most prestigious match, her father planned an extravagant wedding. Fate, however, had other plans.

Before the wedding could take place, Peter the Great passed away, leaving Elizabeth devastated. Just two years later, her mother Catherine also died, leaving the young princess an orphan at 17. As if this weren't enough, Elizabeth received news shortly after that her fiancé Charles had also perished.

In a matter of months, Elizabeth had lost her entire family and her future husband. This series of tragedies left her vulnerable in a court full of ambitious nobles and rival claimants to the throne.

A Bitter Rivalry

During this tumultuous time, Elizabeth found herself at odds with her cousin, Anna Ivanova. The two beautiful cousins developed a fierce rivalry that would have far-reaching consequences.

When Anna became Empress of Russia, she took every opportunity to undermine Elizabeth. She quashed Elizabeth's marriage prospects, forbidding her from marrying noblemen while threatening to strip her of titles if she chose a commoner.

Anna's jealousy of Elizabeth's beauty reached disturbing heights. In one infamous incident, Anna nearly lost her composure when a Chinese minister identified Elizabeth as the most beautiful woman at court.

Love and Scandal

Despite the restrictions placed on her by Anna, Elizabeth found ways to pursue romance - often with men far below her station.

Forbidden Love

Elizabeth began a passionate relationship with Alexis Shubin, a sergeant in the imperial guard. When Anna discovered the affair, her response was brutal. She ordered Shubin's tongue cut out and exiled him to Siberia for life.

Undeterred, Elizabeth moved on to other lovers, including her coachman and footman. Her taste for men in her employ became well-known, but it was her relationship with Alexis Razumovsky that would become legendary.

The Emperor of the Night

Alexis Razumovsky was a Ukrainian peasant with a beautiful singing voice. Elizabeth brought him into her personal choir, and soon their relationship blossomed into a devoted romance. Though they could not marry, Razumovsky remained loyal to Elizabeth throughout her turbulent rise to power. His influence was so great that courtiers began calling him the "Emperor of the Night."

The Path to Power

Elizabeth's ascension to the throne was far from guaranteed. When Empress Anna died in 1740, the court bypassed Elizabeth in favor of her infant cousin, Ivan VI. This slight would not stand for long.

A Daring Coup

On November 25, 1741, Elizabeth made her move. Dressed in a warrior queen's metal breastplate over one of her fabulous gowns, she marched to the imperial guard and rallied them to her cause with a single, powerful sentence:

"Whom do you want to serve? Me, your natural Sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?"

With the guards behind her, Elizabeth stormed the Winter Palace and deposed the infant Ivan VI without bloodshed. Her coup was a masterclass in political maneuvering.

A Dark Secret

Though Elizabeth initially planned to allow Ivan and his family to flee to exile, she ultimately made a much darker choice. Fearing that the boy might one day gather supporters and threaten her reign, she had him imprisoned in a fortress for the rest of his life.

For 20 years, Ivan languished in captivity, his very existence a closely guarded secret. Elizabeth went to great lengths to erase all references to Ivan from court documents and coins, ensuring that her claim to the throne remained unchallenged.

The Reign of Empress Elizabeth

Once in power, Elizabeth's rule was marked by extravagance, cruelty, and contradictions.

A Court of Luxury and Excess

Elizabeth's court became renowned for its opulence and decadence. She demanded that her courtiers wear only the most luxurious clothes and insisted that no one wear the same dress twice. To enforce this rule, she had her men stamp gowns with special ink.

The empress's vanity knew no bounds. She issued edicts forbidding anyone from wearing the same hairstyle, dress, or even accessories as her. Those who dared to outshine Elizabeth faced swift and brutal punishment.

Cruel and Unusual Punishments

While Elizabeth famously refused to execute anyone during her reign, her alternative punishments were often worse than death. When she uncovered a plot to overthrow her, Elizabeth's response was both public and brutal.

The conspirators were brought before a crowd, stripped naked, and flogged. Then, in a move reminiscent of her cousin Anna, Elizabeth had their tongues torn out before exiling them to Siberia.

The Metamorphosis Balls

One of the most infamous aspects of Elizabeth's reign was her "metamorphosis balls." These events began as masked balls but evolved into something far more unusual. Elizabeth would force all attendees to dress as members of the opposite gender.

The empress herself always chose to dress as either a Cossack or a carpenter, supposedly in honor of her father. In reality, Elizabeth knew she looked striking in men's attire and used these events to showcase her beauty while humiliating her courtiers.

Political Maneuvering

Despite her reputation for frivolity, Elizabeth was a shrewd political operator.

Securing the Succession

Recognizing the need for an heir, Elizabeth named her nephew Peter as her successor. She brought him to Russia and arranged his marriage to Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst, who would later become Catherine the Great.

Elizabeth's control over the young couple was absolute. When Catherine gave birth to a son, Paul, Elizabeth immediately claimed the child as her own. She separated the infant from his mother for a month and insisted on raising him herself.

The Seven Years' War

In 1757, Elizabeth embarked on her most ambitious and bloody project: the Seven Years' War against Prussia's Frederick the Great. This conflict was both a political move to curb Prussian power and a personal vendetta against Frederick.

Elizabeth proved to be a formidable opponent. Year after year, she refused to back down, pushing Frederick into an increasingly desperate position. By 1762, the King of Prussia was on the brink of defeat, ready to meet a soldier's end rather than surrender to Elizabeth.

The Twilight of an Empress

As Elizabeth aged, her behavior became increasingly erratic and her health began to decline.

Facing Mortality

The empress who had once been renowned for her beauty now struggled with the ravages of time. She would often burst into tantrums at the mere sight of a woman more beautiful than herself.

Elizabeth's fear of aging and death reached such heights that she forbade anyone from uttering the word "death" in her presence. She suffered from strange dizzy spells and fainting fits but refused to confront her own mortality.

Financial Struggles

Despite the outward appearance of luxury, Elizabeth's reign was constantly on the brink of financial ruin. While her ballrooms were filled with the finest music and food, the living quarters of her court were often cramped and poorly maintained.

A Christmas Miracle

On Christmas Eve 1761, Elizabeth suffered a stroke and passed away on Christmas Day. Her death was hailed as the "Miracle of the House of Brandenburg" by her enemy Frederick, as it saved Prussia from certain defeat in the Seven Years' War.

Even in death, Elizabeth's flair for the dramatic persisted. Her body was displayed in state for six weeks, a final extravagant gesture from a ruler who had lived life to the fullest.

The Legacy of Empress Elizabeth

Empress Elizabeth's reign left an indelible mark on Russian history. Her rule was a study in contradictions: a period of cultural flourishing and scientific advancement set against a backdrop of political repression and personal excess.

Cultural Contributions

Despite her own limited education, Elizabeth was a patron of the arts and sciences. She founded the University of Moscow and the Imperial Academy of Arts, institutions that would play crucial roles in Russia's cultural development.

Elizabeth also oversaw a revival of Russian artistic traditions, encouraging the use of the Russian language in literature and theater at a time when French was the preferred language of the nobility.

Political Impact

Elizabeth's reign saw Russia emerge as a major European power. Her victory in the Seven Years' War, though cut short by her death, demonstrated Russia's military might on the international stage.

Internally, Elizabeth's rule solidified the power of the Russian autocracy. Her lavish court and personal charisma helped to create an aura of majesty around the Russian throne that would persist until the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

A Complex Figure

Empress Elizabeth remains a controversial figure in Russian history. Her vanity, cruelty, and extravagance are undeniable, yet she also presided over a period of cultural growth and military success.

Perhaps the most lasting image of Elizabeth is that of the warrior queen in her breastplate, rallying the guards to her cause. This moment encapsulates the essence of her rule: a blend of feminine charm, military prowess, and political acumen that would shape Russia for generations to come.

Conclusion

The reign of Empress Elizabeth of Russia was a period of extremes. From her scandalous rise to power to her decadent court and cruel punishments, Elizabeth's rule was never dull. Yet beneath the surface of luxury and excess, she was a shrewd ruler who expanded Russia's influence and laid the groundwork for the golden age of Catherine the Great.

Elizabeth's legacy is a complex one, full of contradictions and unanswered questions. Was she a vain tyrant or a cunning politician? A patron of the arts or a frivolous spendthrift? Perhaps she was all of these things and more.

What is certain is that Empress Elizabeth left an indelible mark on Russian history. Her reign bridged the gap between the reforms of Peter the Great and the enlightened rule of Catherine, shaping Russia's trajectory as a European power. For better or worse, the echoes of Elizabeth's extravagant and controversial reign can still be felt in Russia today.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ojMTKeRGE