Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova(in the marriage of Dashkov). This woman went down in history under the name

Ekaterina Vorontsova - Dashkova.

Ekaterina Vorontsova- Dashkova

Catherine was born in 1743.

The girl was left without maternal love early - her mother died when Katenka was only 2 years old. The father did not spoil the girl and was greedy beyond measure, for which he received the nickname "Roman - a big pocket."

Her uncle, Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, took care of all the upbringing, and Catherine was grateful to him for this until the end of her days, always remembering her uncle with great warmth.
Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov was on a special account with Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. During the period "when she took power into her own hands," he found himself "at the back of her carriage." His devotion was not forgotten either to him or to his descendants.

Not a simple childhood left an imprint on the character of Ekaterina Romanovna. Contemporaries said that Catherine's character was tough and she often showed masculine traits. Uncle did not skimp on the fact that the girl received a good education. And Catherine herself showed interest in various sciences. She drew well, spoke several foreign languages, read a lot, danced well and had refined manners. Being a very young girl, she was fond of reading books, the authors of which were Walter, Montesquieu. Passion for philosophy made the girl think a lot about life. But there was one serious flaw in her education, which, subsequently, would lead to a number of troubles in Catherine's life - she did not speak Russian at all.
But, ironically, it was Ekaterina Dashkova who made a colossal development in the development of the Russian language and, compensating for this lack of youth, she was able to create the Russian Academy, which dealt with the problems of the Russian language. It was in this academy that the first dictionary of the Russian language, the first grammar of the Russian language, was published.

Despite the rigidity of character and deep education, Catherine was a very romantic person. This character trait plays a very cruel joke with her.

At the age of 15, two romantic encounters take place in her life, which determined her entire future fate.
During the first meeting, she gets acquainted with a stately officer - Mikhail Dashkov. Ekaterina falls in love with this stunning handsome man.

Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Dashkov

She sincerely believed that these feelings were mutual. But the fact of Michael's passionate love remains controversial. Diderot, in his notes, reflected Vorontsova's appearance in this way:

“Princess Dashkova is not at all pretty, she is small in stature, her forehead is large and high, her cheeks are thick and swollen, her eyes are neither large nor small, somewhat recessed in their orbits, her nose is flattened, her mouth is large, her lips are thick, her teeth are spoiled, there is no waist at all . There is no grace in her, no nobility, but a lot of friendliness.

Due to her difficult nature, and almost everyone testified to this, the woman could not keep the love of her children, although she loved them in her own way and did not spare money and effort for their education ....

If we return to the fateful meetings, I want to tell you that at about the same time when the young Catherine and Mikhail met, the wife of the heir to the throne, Ekaterina Alekseevna, visited the Vorontsovs' house. Two Catherines immediately find a common language and discover the kinship of souls. They have common interests, the same outlook on life. They become friends! They were called Catherine the Great and Catherine the Small. Ekaterina Vorontsova - Dashkova sincerely considered herself an adviser and best friend of Catherine the Great, who devoted her to all her affairs - Dashkova thought so.
But, apparently, the royal lady used her friend for her own purposes - to spread rumors, collect gossip, attract the right people to her side. Energetic Dashkova, who loved to talk about her own glory, Catherine did not want to keep to herself - only she alone should reign in beauty, power and intelligence.

Therefore, Dashkova is removed from the court and exiled to the village. And the reason was a mere trifle - not speaking Russian, Dashkova allowed to speak with Catherine the Great in the presence of a Russian soldier in French. This act was regarded as a lack of respect for the Russian army.

Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova

For Dashkova, this was a severe blow and disappointment. A series of difficult trials falls on the head of a young woman - the death of her son and husband, a serious illness and unpaid loans. The ambition and vanity of this woman were wounded and she decides to leave Russia. Having obtained permission to leave, she leaves the country. The official purpose of the trip is to improve the health of children. But in fact, her old dream came true, to see the sights of Europe. Abroad, Dashkova leads an active lifestyle. she can often be seen at theatrical premieres, she visits manufactories, visits museums and theaters, art workshops and draws a lot herself. And most importantly, she was able to meet those who were her idol in childhood - Walter, Diderot. She often sees them and talks for a long time. She is also popular and queues begin to line up for her to chat with the Russian princess, and not at all because of her appearance, but because of her mind. She was recognized as the First Mind of Russia!

In 1784 Dashkova returned to her homeland. Catherine the Great, decides that Dashkova can be very useful and offers her a responsible post, appointing her Head of the Academy of Russian Sciences. Dashkova becomes the first woman to head the Academy of Sciences. Having received the appointment, Ekaterina, with diligence and dedication, begins to deal with the affairs of the academy and makes a colossal contribution to the development of Russian science. On her initiative, public lectures were organized, which attracted a large number of listeners and were successful. She increased the number of pupils and the Academy and the number of scholarship holders. According to the plan of Dashkova, the collection “Russian Theater” was published at the Academy. The best reward for her work was that in 1811 the members of the Russian Academy unanimously decided to invite Dashkova to the post of chairman of the academy.

Indifferent Dashkova always wants to be the first in everything. This is noted by many of her contemporaries. Here is what a close friend wrote about her:

“In appearance, in conversation, in her manners, there is some kind of originality that distinguishes her from all other people. She helps the masons build the walls, builds roads and feeds the cows, composes musical plays, writes articles for the press, and loudly corrects the priest in the church if he deviates from the rules. And in the theater he interrupts the actors and teaches them how to play the roles. Princess, together - a doctor, a pharmacist, a paramedic, a merchant, a carpenter, a judge, an administrator.

Yes, it is not easy to live with such a person who even teaches a priest how to lead a service. Of course, close people suffered greatly from communicating with her, at the same time making fun of such an irrepressible desire to take a direct part in everything and everywhere.
But, Ekaterina Romanovna could not help herself - it was all the fault of her character! She taught everyone, instructed everyone, and was very offended when her merits did not receive a worthy reward.

Here is such a story of resentment at the lack of demand for their romantic feelings, against the backdrop of cynicism and practicality of the people around them. This is the story of the amazing rise of a woman whose mind, education, and open disposition towards people were noted by many. This is a story about a woman who was able to make an amazing impression on Europe and showed Russia from a completely different side.
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Moscow Academy of Instrumentation and Informatics

EKATERINA ROMANOVNA DASHKOVA .

2nd year student

Faculty TI-6-00-01(d)

Zharikov S.A.

MOSCOW 2001

This outstanding woman from 1783 to 1794 was at the head of two academies - the Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy. She was a writer, art connoisseur, teacher, philologist, editor, naturalist and musician, and she undoubtedly plays a significant role in the history of Russian culture and Russian enlightenment. Dashkova left "Notes", which her biographer and admirer Alexander Ivanovich Herzen called a document extremely important for the study of the 17th century.

Despite the fact that she was a countess by her father and a princess by her husband, Dashkova wrote that she always felt uncomfortable at court. And indeed, she, smart, educated, with independent judgments, and a very active character, was not easy in the world of court gossip, servility and petty intrigues. Voltaire and Diderot, and not haughty and narcissistic temporary workers, were her friends and interlocutors.

There were many surprises in her life, a kind of paradoxes. Already at the baptism of the newborn at the font, Empress Elizabeth herself held her, and the godfather was none other than the Grand Duke, later Emperor Peter III (in whose overthrow the future Princess Dashkova took an active part).

Dashkova lost her mother early. Her father, count, lieutenant general and senator R.I. Vorontsov, was little interested in his children (there were five of them - 2 sons and 3 daughters), and the youngest daughter, Ekaterina, was taken in by uncle M.I. Vorontsov, at that time Vice-Chancellor, and since 1758 - Grand Chancellor.

In the family of her uncle, the girl Catherine received an excellent education for that time: she spoke four languages. She knew how to draw, she danced well, she had exquisite manners. “But what has been done to develop the mind and heart? - she asked herself later and answered herself: - Exactly nothing.

At the age of 14, she contracted measles and was sent to the countryside. There, when looking at books from an extensive library, the girl seizes a new passion - reading serious literature. Enlightenment philosophers Bayle, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Boileau become her idols.

She returns to her uncle's family different - matured, prone to deep reflection and solitude. At this time, her character develops - independent, proud, but at the same time impressionable and trusting. She resolutely refuses to whiten and blush. And in her personal library, 900 volumes have already been collected, among them is the famous "Encyclopedia" of the French Enlighteners.

A deep psychological portrait of the young Ekaterina Romanovna is given by the historian writer D.L. Mordovtsev in his essay “Russian Women of Modern Times”: “Early, an unclear consciousness of her strength and a sense of rich inner inclinations appeared in her, and this was revealed in her, on the one hand, some kind of pride, recognition of something more than what they thought to see in her, and on the other hand, a passionate desire to share feelings, impressions, knowledge - a desire for friendship and love. But she could not find a response to all this in anyone: she did not get along with her co-educate in soul, and she had no other relatives, and she only cultivated deep friendship in herself for her brother Alexander, for whom she had this feeling all her life, as in general, all her affections were distinguished by their fullness and some kind of completeness: she gave herself completely to every feeling.

In the 16th year, unexpectedly for everyone, she marries Prince Mikhail Dashkov, a guardsman. This somewhat hasty step confirms the traits of her character - independence, courage, the ability to surrender to her feelings to the end. The secretary of the French envoy in St. Petersburg, the historian Claude Rulière (1735-1791), in a book about the palace coup of 1762, published in 1797, wrote about Dashkova's marriage that Prince Dashkov, one of the most beautiful court cavaliers, once without any special intentions too freely began to say pleasantries to the girl Vorontsova. The latter called her uncle, the chancellor, and told him that the prince asked for her hand and that she agreed to become his wife. When the chancellor turned to young Dashkov, he did not dare to admit to the first dignitary of the empire that their conversation did not contain such a definite meaning, and now he confirmed his request. Perhaps Rulière's story is just a historical anecdote, but he also speaks of those features that were characteristic of the very young Dashkova.

After a modest wedding, the Dashkovs lived for two years in a Moscow patriarchal family. In 1761 they were invited to St. Petersburg, to the court. Openly condemning the behavior of the Grand Duke, who later became Emperor Peter III, and his unworthy attitude towards his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, Dashkova tried to get closer to the latter - the charm and education of the Grand Duchess admired her.

Ekaterina Alekseevna was almost twice as old as Dashkova, but this did not interfere: trusting, almost friendly relations were established between them. They exchanged letters, books, opinions about what they had read, and even their own compositions. 46 letters from Catherine to Dashkova have been preserved. Ekaterina burned letters from Dashkova: she was constantly monitored at court, and her friend, who was brave and not restrained in her feelings, could write something unlawful. The excessively exalted Dashkova was so blinded by Catherine that on one of the December nights of 1761, when Elizabeth had only a few days left to live, she secretly entered the apartments of the Grand Duchess and, swearing allegiance to her, ardently persuaded her “to act in whatever way became."

Through her husband, who served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, she fueled the dissatisfaction with Peter III of some guards officers, pointing out the danger that really threatened Catherine II and the heir. She tried to involve such aristocrats as Nikita Panin, Kirill Razumovsky into "her party", but the latter were more cautious. Dashkova was not next to Catherine in the guards and in the Kazan Church, where the latter, after a thanksgiving service, was proclaimed "the most autocratic empress of all Russia." She learned about what had happened from the unprecedented noise in the city and arrived at the Winter Palace, when the ceremony of taking the oath to the new “mother sovereign” had already begun.

Among the awarded participants in the conspiracy, Dashkova was not the last - she received the Order of St. Catherine and 24 thousand rubles. But this did not please, but, on the contrary, offended her: she realized that Catherine did not trust her in many ways; the princess naively thought that she was almost at the center of the conspiracy, and recent events showed that much was hidden from her. After the success of the coup, Catherine noticeably moved away from her, as Herzen later said, "with the speed of truly royal ingratitude"; rewarding her friend, the empress simply bought her off. Dashkova, like Panin, believed that after the abdication of Peter III, Catherine would cede the Russian throne to the rightful heir - her son Pavel, and she herself would be satisfied with the title of regent; but the whole behavior of the empress indicated that she intended to reign alone.

For the young enlightened princess, lofty dreams of the good of the fatherland collapsed, their joint plans with Catherine for “enlightened transformations”, where Dashkova herself was given a place next to her sovereign friend.

Dashkova was disappointed in Catherine, and she had every reason for this. Now the empress was thinking about her ardent friend in a completely different way from what she wrote to her so recently in letters. She confidentially informed Poniatovsky: “Princess Dashkova, the younger sister of Elizaveta Vorontsova, although she wants to ascribe to herself all the honor of this coup, was in a very poor account thanks to her relatives, and her nineteen-year-old age did not inspire much confidence in her. She thought that everything comes to me only through her. On the contrary, it was necessary to hide from Princess Dashkova the intercourse of others with me for six months, and in the last four weeks they tried to tell her as little as possible ... True, she is very smart, but her mind is spoiled by monstrous vanity and a quarrelsome character ... "Thus, definitely the places of Catherine the Great and Catherine the Little, as Dashkova was called, were determined, and the distance between them was clearly and irrevocably marked.

In the early years of Catherine's reign, Dashkoyva was in disfavor. She was not forgiven for her boldness of statements, nor her desire to participate in the affairs of the state, nor her popularity. An atmosphere of distrust and suspicion is created around her. There were irresponsible rumors that she was preparing a conspiracy against the Orlovs, that she was the inspirer of the conspiracy of Mirovich, who was trying to elevate Ivan Antonovich, a prisoner of the Shlisselburg fortress, to the throne. To top it all off, fate unexpectedly brought down terrible blows on her: her son, who remained in the care of his grandmother, dies in Moscow, and in the fall of 1764, her husband, vice-colonel of the Life Cuirassier Regiment, who was there with Russian troops, dies in Poland.

The 20-year-old widow of Dashkov, left with two children and numerous debts of her late husband, was between life and death for 15 days. Having recovered, she decides first of all to pay off her creditors and improve the well-being of her family. To this end, the princess leaves for the village, where she has been living without a break for five years and prudently takes care of the household. About this most difficult time for her, Dashkova wrote: “If I had been told before my marriage that I, brought up in luxury and extravagance, would be able for several years (despite my twenty years of age) to deprive myself of everything and wear the most modest clothes, I would not believe it; but, just as I was the governess and nurse of my children, I also wanted to be a good manager of their estates, and no hardships frightened me.

In December 1769, Dashkova went on her first two-year trip abroad. The official purpose of the trip is to “improve the health” of the children, but in reality her long-standing desire to see everything that is noteworthy in Europe is being fulfilled. In order to feel more free, not to visit foreign courts and observe the strictest economy regime, she travels to Europe under the modest name of Mrs. Mikhalkova.

Through Riga and Koenigsberg, Ekaterina Romanovna arrives in Danzig. Staying at the Rossiya Hotel, she sees two monumental canvases on the wall in the hall: wounded and dying Russian soldiers ask for mercy from the winners - the Prussians. Dashkova is indignant, she is especially indignant because Russian travelers, as a rule, stay at the hotel: Alexei Orlov was here quite recently and was also angry at the sight of these paintings. "And he didn't buy them and throw them into the fire?" she asks the Russian chargé d'affaires. “Compared to him, I am very poor ... but still I will arrange it!”

As always, without limiting herself to words, she instructs the secretary of the Russian mission to buy blue, green, red and white oil paint and after dinner, having locked the door well, she takes a brush and repaints the uniforms in the paintings, turning the winners into the vanquished and vice versa, and now the Prussians are on their knees beg the Russians for mercy. She leaves the hotel very pleased with herself and has fun, imagining the surprise of the owner when he discovers "that the Prussians suddenly lost both battles." After visiting Danzig, Dashkova lives in Berlin for two months. Here her incognito did not help her, and at the insistence of Frederick II, she gets acquainted with the Prussian royal court.

During a 10-day stay in England, she visits Bath, Bristol and other cities. At Oxford, she is particularly interested in the university library, and in particular the Russian-Greek grammar dictionary.

Dashkova spends 17 days in Paris. He inspects manufactories, visits artists' workshops, museums, theaters and churches. But the main thing is meetings with Diderot, she sees him every day and talks until late at night. The 57-year-old philosopher and the 27-year-old Russian princess in serious and confidential conversations discuss the state of affairs in France, expound their views on the advantages of constitutional monarchy and on a particularly acute and topical issue - the serfdom of the peasants in Russia. At the same time, Dashkova, agreeing with the need to liberalize the life of society and limit the power of the autocracy, justifies the serf policy of Catherine II and tries to prove that the Russian illiterate and downtrodden peasant will not be able to properly use the freedom granted to him.

After Paris, Dashkova travels to Lyon, where she inspects the famous manufactories, and then goes to Switzerland. In Geneva, she meets with Voltaire. He is 76 years old, but, talking with him alone, the princess finds in him an insightful thinker of Europe. Dashkova says goodbye to Geneva, and Voltaire, "a great flatterer and mocker in correspondence with the crowned persons," sends her an exquisite letter after her and informs Catherine II of his meeting with the Russian guest.

After her first trip abroad, Dashkova continued to live in seclusion. Being busy raising her children, she read a lot, focusing her main attention on issues of pedagogical science. Sharing the hopes of some contemporaries-educators about the reorganization of society on the basis of reason and justice with the help of new methods of education, she compiled an extensive training program for her son, indicating specific subjects and the timing of their study. To complete her son's education, she asks Catherine II to allow her family to go abroad again. Having given her daughter in marriage to Brigadier Shcherbinin, she left Russia in 1775 with her son, daughter and son-in-law for a long 8 years.

Participation in politics

Trips abroad

Literature

Modern

(17 (28) March 1743, according to other sources 1744, St. Petersburg - 4 (16) January 1810, Moscow), born Vorontsova, in marriage Princess Dashkova. A friend and associate of Empress Catherine II, a participant in the coup d'état of 1762 (after the coup, Catherine II lost interest in her friend and Princess Dashkova did not play a significant role in the affairs of government). One of the prominent personalities of the Russian Enlightenment. Her memoirs contain valuable information about the reign of Peter III and the accession of Catherine II (“ Mon Histoire, Memoires de la princesse Dachkoff», « Memoirs of Princess Dashkova”, published in 1840 in London).

Youth

Ekaterina Vorontsova was the third daughter of Count Roman Vorontsov, a member of the Senate and general in chief. Her uncle Mikhail Illarionovich and brother Alexander served as state advisers, brother Semyon was a well-known Anglophile. Mother - Marfa Ivanovna, nee Surmina.

She was brought up in the house of her uncle, Vice-Chancellor Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. “Excellent”, according to the concepts of that time, her upbringing was limited to teaching new languages, dancing and drawing. Only thanks to the desire to read Catherine became one of the most educated women of her time. Trips abroad and acquaintance with famous writers greatly contributed to her further education and development.

She was well versed in mathematics, which she studied at Moscow University. Her favorite writers were Montesquieu, Voltaire, Boileau and Helvetius.

Ekaterina demonstrated from an early age "masculine" qualities and "masculine" character, which made her career so unique.

At the age of sixteen, she married Prince Mikhail Dashkov, a famous aristocrat who traced his roots to the Ruriks, and moved with him to Moscow.

Participation in politics

From an early age, Catherine was constantly occupied with political issues. Even as a child, she rummaged through her uncle's diplomatic papers and followed the course of Russian politics. The time of intrigue and quick coup d'état contributed to the development of her ambition and desire to play a historical role. To some extent, Catherine succeeded.

While still a young girl, she was associated with the Court and became one of the leading personalities of the movement that supported Ekaterina Alekseevna when she ascended the throne. Acquaintance with Vel. book. Ekaterina Alekseevna (1758) and her personal disposition made Dashkova her most devoted supporter. They were also connected by literary interests.

The final rapprochement with Catherine took place at the end of 1761 after the accession to the throne of Peter III. She participated in the coup against Peter III, despite the fact that her sister Elizabeth was his favorite and could become his new wife. Having conceived a coup d'état, and at the same time wishing to remain in the shadows for the time being, Catherine chose Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov and Princess Dashkova as her main allies. The first promoted among the troops, the second - among the dignitaries and the aristocracy. Thanks to Dashkova, Count N. I. Panin, Count K. G. Razumovsky, I. I. Betskoy, Baryatinsky, A. I. Glebov, G. N. Teplov and others were attracted to the side of the Empress.

When the coup took place, other people, contrary to the expectations of Catherine, took the first place at court and in state affairs; at the same time, the relations of the empress with Dashkova also cooled.

Trips abroad

Some time after the death of her husband, foreman Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Dashkov (1764), Catherine spent time in a village near Moscow, and in 1768 undertook a trip to Russia.

After the events of 1763, Dashkova did not develop a very cordial relationship with Catherine, although she remained very devoted to the empress. However, she often did not like the favorites of the Empress, and often became angry about the gifts and the attention they were given. Dashkova's straightforward manners, her undisguised contempt for palace favorites, and a sense of underestimation of her merits created an estrangement between her and Catherine, which is why Dashkova asked permission to go abroad. Permission was given, and after a short time she left, remaining, however, a devoted comrade-in-arms and friend of Catherine. According to some reports, the real reason for Dashkova's departure was Catherine's refusal to appoint her as a colonel of the imperial guard.

In December 1769, she was allowed to travel abroad. Dashkova visited Germany, England, France, Switzerland, Prussia for 3 years. During an extensive trip through Europe, she was received with great respect at foreign courts. Her literary and scientific reputation gave her access to the society of scientists and philosophers in the capitals of Europe. In Paris, she formed a strong friendship with Diderot and Voltaire.

1775-1782 she again spent abroad to raise her only son, who completed a course at the University of Edinburgh. She again visited Paris, Switzerland and Germany, as well as Italy. In England she met Robertson and Adam Smith. While she was in Edinburgh, she entrusted her son's education to the historian William Robertson.

Academy management and literary activities

In 1782 Dashkova returned to the Russian capital and her relationship with Catherine improved again. Catherine was very fond of Dashkova's literary taste, but mainly she was impressed by Dashkova's desire to elevate the Russian language to the rank of the great literary languages ​​of Europe.

The Empress, by decree of January 24 (February 4), 1783, appointed Dashkova to the post of director of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences under the presidency of Count K. G. Razumovsky, which she held until November 12 (23), 1796 (from August 12 (23), 1794 , when Dashkova was dismissed on vacation, until November 12 (23), 1796, when she was dismissed from work altogether, her position was corrected by Pavel Petrovich Bakunin).

Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova became the first woman in the world to manage the Academy of Sciences. At her suggestion, the Imperial Russian Academy was also established on September 30 (October 11), 1783, which had one of the main goals of the study of the Russian language, and Dashkova became its president.

Upon her appointment as director of the Academy of Sciences, Dashkova expressed confidence in her speech that the sciences would not constitute the monopoly of the academy, but "would be appropriated to the entire fatherland and rooted, they would flourish." To this end, on her initiative, public lectures were organized at the academy (annually, during 4 summer months), which were very successful and attracted a large number of listeners. Dashkova increased the number of scholarship students of the academy from 17 to 50, and pupils of the academy of arts - from 21 to 40. During the 11 years of Dashkova's leadership, the academic gymnasium showed its activity not only on paper. Several young people were sent to complete their education in Göttingen.

The establishment of the so-called "translation department" (instead of the "meeting of translators" or "Russian meeting") was intended to give Russian society the opportunity to read the best works of foreign literature in their native language. It was precisely at this time that a whole series of translations appeared, mainly from the classical languages.

At the initiative of Dashkova, the magazine "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word" was founded, which was published in 1783 and 1784 (16 books) and was of a satirical and journalistic nature. The best literary forces participated in it: Derzhavin, Kheraskov, Kapnist, Fonvizin, Bogdanovich, Knyaznin. Here were placed "Notes on Russian History" by imp. Catherine, her own “There were also fables”, answers to questions from Fonvizin, “Felitsa” by Derzhavin.

Dashkova herself owns the inscription in verse to the portrait of Catherine and the satirical "Message to the word: so." Another, more serious publication: New Monthly Works began in 1786 (continued until 1796). Under Dashkova, a new series of memoirs of the academy was started, under the title “Nova acta acad. scientiarum petropolitanae" (since 1783). According to Dashkova, a collection was published at the academy: "The Russian Theater". The main scientific enterprise of the Russian Academy was the publication of the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language. In this collective work, Dashkova owns the collection of words for the letters Ts, Sh, Sh, additions to many other letters; she also worked hard to explain words (mostly denoting moral qualities). On November 29, 1783, at a meeting of the Russian Academy, Dashkova proposed using the printed letter "Yo".

Saving many academic sums, skillful economic management of the academy are the undoubted merit of Dashkova. The best assessment of it can be that in 1801, upon the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander I, the members of the Russian Academy unanimously decided to invite Dashkova to take the chair of the academy again (Dashkova refused this proposal).

In addition to the mentioned literary works, Dashkova wrote poetry in Russian and French (mostly in letters to Empress Catherine), translated “Experience on epic. poetry" by Voltaire ("Innocent Exercise", 1763, and otd., St. Petersburg, 1781), translated from English. (in "Experience of the Works of the Free Russian Assembly", 1774), uttered a few chords. speeches (written under the strong influence of Lomonosov's speeches). Some of her articles were published in The Friend of Enlightenment (1804 - 1806) and in New Monthly Writings. She also owns the comedy "Toishiokov, or a spineless man", written at the request of Catherine for the Hermitage theater (1786), and the drama "Fabian's Marriage, or Greed for Wealth Punished" (continuation of Kotzebue's drama: "Poverty and nobility of soul"). In Toisiokov (a person who wants "and this and that") to see L. A. Naryshkin, with whom Dashkova did not get along at all, and in the heroine Reshimova, who is opposed to him in character, - the author of the comedy.

An important historical document is Dashkova's memoirs, first published in English by Mrs. Wilmot in 1840, with additions and changes. The French text of the memoirs, undoubtedly belonging to Dashkova, appeared later (“Mon histoire”, in the Archive of Prince Vorontsov, book XXI). Reporting a lot of valuable and interesting information about the coup of 1762, about his own life abroad, court intrigues, etc., Prince. Dashkova is not distinguished by impartiality and objectivity. Praising the imp. Catherine, she gives almost no factual basis for such praise. Not infrequently, the Notes seem to imply an accusation of the empress's ingratitude. The unselfishness of the author of the memoirs, which is emphasized by the facts, is far from justified by the facts.

in disgrace

Empress Dashkova brought new dissatisfaction with the publication in the Russian Theater (published at the Academy) of Knyazhnin's tragedy Vadim (1795). This tragedy was withdrawn from circulation. In the same 1795, she left St. Petersburg and lived in Moscow and her village near Moscow. In 1796, immediately after ascending the throne, Emperor Pavel removed Dashkova from all her posts and ordered her to live in her Novgorod estate. Only with the assistance of imp. Maria Feodorovna Dashkova was allowed to settle in the Kaluga province, and then in Moscow, where she lived no longer taking part in literary and political affairs. Her life from that time was closely connected with the Troitskoye estate, which she turned into a kind of earthly paradise.

Dashkova died on January 16, 1810 and was buried in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Troitskoye in the Kaluga province. By the end of the 19th century, traces of the gravestone were practically lost. On October 22, 1999, at the initiative of the MGI. E. R. Dashkova’s tombstone was restored and consecrated by the Archbishop of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment. The place where she was buried was established: “in the refectory part of the church“ on the left side of the refectory, against the pillar ”, in its north-eastern corner in the crypt located under the floor. The arrangement of the tomb of representatives of princely families in the temple corresponded to the Russian memorial tradition. On the wall of the refectory between the second and third windows was placed a copper plaque on which was the text of the epitaph, compiled by Dashkova's niece Anna Islenyeva: “Here lie the mortal remains of Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, nee Countess Vorontsova, State Lady, Order of St. Ekaterina Cavalier, director of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, the President of the Russian Academy, various foreign Academies and all Russian scientific societies members. She was born on March 17, 1743, and died on January 18, 1810. This tombstone was placed in her eternal memory from her cordial and grateful niece, Anna Malinovskaya, nee Islenyeva, who was devoted to her. At present, the church has been restored, a tombstone has been made on the grave.”

Children

From marriage with M. I. Dashkov, she had a daughter and two sons:

• Anastasia(1760-1831), received a brilliant home education, in 1776 she married Andrei Evdokimovich Shcherbinin. The couple lived apart for a long time, often quarreled and periodically diverged. Anastasia Mikhailovna was a brawler, spent money indiscriminately, got into debt. In 1807, Ekaterina Romanovna deprived her daughter of her inheritance and forbade her to let her in even for the last farewell.
• Michael (1761-1762)
• Paul(1763-1807), Moscow provincial leader of the nobility; bequeathed his property to Count Ivan Illarionovich Vorontsov, whom Emperor Alexander I allowed to be called Vorontsov-Dashkov. He was married on January 14, 1788 to the unborn and untitled daughter of a merchant, Anna Semyonovna Alferova (1768-1809). The marriage of Pavel Mikhailovich was not happy, and the couple did not live together for long. Apparently, the remark of a contemporary, memoirist F. F. Vigel, that Prince Dashkov “did not think for a long time, took it and got married without even being seriously in love” is fair. Ekaterina Romanovna did not want to recognize her son's family and saw her daughter-in-law for the first time only after her son's death in 1807, 19 years after their wedding.

Memory

In St. Petersburg, on Stachek Avenue, the estate of Dashkova - Kiryanovo has been preserved.

In Serpukhov, near Moscow, one of the streets of the city bears the name of Ekaterina Dashkova, and on the territory of the Serpukhov district there is a village named after Dashkova.

In 1992, the Moscow Humanitarian Institute named after E. R. Dashkova was established. At MGI them. E. R. Dashkova, there is the Dashkov Society, which studies the heritage of the outstanding statesman of the 18th century, E. R. Dashkova.

In 1999 MGI im. E. R. Dashkova established the Medal of Princess Dashkova “For Service to Freedom and Enlightenment”.

Literature

Modern

• Vorontsov-Dashkov AI Ekaterina Dashkova: Life in power and disgrace. M.: Young Guard, 2010. 335 p. (Series "Life of Remarkable People")
• Tychinina L.V., The Great Russian Woman, Moscow, Nauka, 2002
• Tychinina L.V., Bessarabova N.V. Princess Dashkova and the imperial court, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2006
• Tychinina L.V., Bessarabova N.V. "... she was born for big things." Chronicle of the life of Princess E. R. Dashkova, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2009
• Lozinskaya L. Ya., At the head of two academies, Moscow, "Nauka", 1983
• Woronzoff-Dashkoff A. Dashkova: A Life of Influence and Exile. Philadelphia, American Philosophical Society, 2008
• E. R. Dashkova. Research and materials, St. Petersburg, Dmitry Bulanin Publishing House, 1996
• Dictionary of the Russian Academy. 1789-1794. In 6 volumes, reprint 2001-2007, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova
• E. R. Dashkova and A. S. Pushkin in the history of Russia. Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2000
• Pryashnikova M. P. E. R. Dashkova and music, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2001
• E. R. Dashkova and her contemporaries, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2002
• Fainshtein M.Sh., “And to surpass the glory of France in Russia.” Russian Academy and Development of Culture and Humanities, Moscow-St. Petersburg, 2002
• Veselaya G. A., Firsova E. N., Moscow in the fate of Princess Dashkova, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2002
• E. R. Dashkova. Personality and Epoch, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2003
• E. R. Dashkova. Portrait in the context of history, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2004
• E. R. Dashkova and the Age of Enlightenment, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2005
• E. R. Dashkova and the golden age of Catherine, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2006
• Smagina G.I., Associate of the Great Catherine, St. Petersburg, "Rostok", 2006
• E. R. Dashkova in Science and Culture, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2007
• E. R. Dashkova and representatives of the Age of Enlightenment, Moscow, MGI im. E. R. Dashkova, 2008
• Dolgova S. R. Princess E. R. Dashkova and the Malinovsky family. M., 2002
• Dashkova E. R. About the meaning of the word "Education": Works. Letters. Documentation. SPb., 2001
• E. R. Dashkova: Great heritage and modernity. M., 2009
• E. R. Dashkova and representatives of the Age of Enlightenment. M., 2008
• E. R. Dashkova and Russian Society of the 18th Century. M., 2001
• E. R. Dashkova and her time: research and materials. M., 1999
• Palmer, Elena. Peter III. Der Prinz von Holstein. Sutton, Germany 2005, ISBN 3-89702-788-7

19th century

• Wed D. Ilovaisky. Biography of Dashkova // Works, 1884;
• A. N. Afanasiev. Literary works of Dashkova // Otechestvennye zapiski, 1860, No. 3,
• A. N. Afanasiev. Director of the Academy of Sciences Dashkova // Chten. total ist. 1867, I;
• M. Sukhomlinov. History of the Russian Academy, part 1;
• V. I. Semevsky. Russian antiquity 1874, 8;
• Dobrolyubov, "O Conversation." (op. vol. 1);
• Galakhov Otechestvennye zapiski 1856, 11, 12;
• Pekarsky, Materials for the history of journals. activity imp. Catherine // Notes of the Academy of Sciences, VIII vol.;
• Russian archive, 1880, III book., 1881, I and II;
• Book archive. Vorontsov, Prince. XXI (St. Petersburg, 1888);
• A. S. Suvorin, Prince. E. R. Dashkova, vol. 1, St. Petersburg. 1888.

Born in St. Petersburg. Daughter of Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov and Marfa Ivanovna, nee Surmina. Goddaughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and Peter Fedorovich. Until the age of four, she lived at her grandmother's estate. She was brought up in the house of her uncle, Chancellor Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. She received an excellent education.

Unusually capable and intelligent, Dashkova became one of the first female scientists in Russia. She played a significant role in the palace coup of 1762, being a supporter of Catherine II. After the accession of Catherine II, she lived with her family in the palace. During the coronation, she was granted the title of lady of state. Endowed by nature with rare abilities, ambitious, she wanted to be the first in everything and believed that the empress owed her the throne. Not having received proper remuneration and recognition of her merits, Dashkova moved away from the court.

From 1762 to 1764 lost two close people, her husband and son Mikhail. Grieving the loss, she lived in solitude, not participating in public life. In 1769, together with her children, she went abroad, where she lived for a total of almost ten years. Traveled in Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Poland, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Prussia. Abroad, she met with Voltaire, Diderot, Smith, who spoke flatteringly about her. Diderot said about the princess: “She is serious in character, usually does not express what she thinks, but if she speaks, then simply and with true conviction ... her soul is shaken by misfortune. Her convictions are solid and her horizons are broad. She is brave and proud. It is imbued with an aversion to despotism and to what more or less resembles tyranny. She knows Russian statesmen well and frankly expresses her opinion about them, praising their virtues and at the same time speaking sharply about their shortcomings. She is as resolute in her hatred as in friendship, she has insight, composure, correct judgment.

Dashkova was accepted as a member of many scientific societies: she was a member of the Free Economic Society, the Philadelphia Philosophical Society, the Stockholm Academy of Sciences.

Upon returning to Russia in 1783, she received the post of director of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, becoming the only woman in the world in this position. She established a special Russian Academy for the study of the "Russian word". She founded two scientific and literary publications: “The Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word ...” and “New Monthly Works”, where G.R. Derzhavin, D.I. Fonvizin, Ya.B. Knyazhnin and others. Author of many literary works. Of particular interest are her memoirs.

During the accession of Paul I, Dashkova was removed from all positions. She was exiled to the village, where she lived until the death of the emperor.

From 1759 she was married to an officer of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Prince Mikhail (Kondrat) Ivanovich Dashkov. Had sons Paul and Michael (who died early); and daughter Anastasia, married to Andrey Evdokimovich Shcherbinin.

Ekaterina Romanovna was fond of music, she sang beautifully. Shortly before her death, she donated to Moscow University her “natural study”, collected during her travels.

The princess was buried in the church of the village of Troitsky, Moscow province.

Dashkova Ekaterina Romanovna nee Countess Vorontsova, was born in 1744, her godmother was Empress Elizabeth, her godfather was Grand Duke Peter III at that time. in the future, the emperor, whose overthrow the young goddaughter will contribute with all the strength of her organizational talent, Father - Roman Vorontsov was a member of the Senate and a general, uncle and brother turned out to be state advisers. But mother, about whom friends and relatives spoke only kind words, died when little Katya was not even two years old. In total, five children were born in this marriage.

Maria - in the marriage of Buturlina, Elizabeth - in the marriage of Polyanskaya, both became ladies-in-waiting to her imperial and met with her younger sister extremely rarely, like the second brother - Semyon, who was brought up in the village by his grandfather.

Thus, out of the whole family, Catherine, by chance, maintained relations only with her brother Alexander, who made an excellent political career.

As was customary in noble families (Ekaterina Romanovna herself followed the same tradition with respect to her own children)
grandmothers took care of babies. And at the time of her mother's death, her grandmother took care of the girl. "Tender hands" held the child up to four years, and then the uncle from the father's side took Katya into his family and raised him together with his own daughter, Anna Vorontsova.
Anna Vorontsova, later Countess Stroganova, will become a political opponent of her husband's sister and protest against the overthrow of Pyotr Fedorovich.

And Elizaveta Vorontsova will become the mistress of Emperor Peter III and will expect to become the second wife-empress, confronting her lawful wife Catherine.

The education of sister girls consisted of learning foreign languages, music, dancing and drawing. Catherine read a lot, but was very lonely. By the age of fourteen, an unbearable longing began to torment her from the realization of her own loneliness. About this she later, after many years, will write memoirs.

Politics occupied the girl from an early age. And the chancellor uncle kept at home a lot of all sorts of documents, such as letters from the Shah of Persia to Empress Catherine I, in one of which he urged his "royal sister" not to abuse alcohol, since he himself suffers from this addiction and therefore looks bad, or the correspondence of the Chinese emperor with an ambassadorial order regarding the latter's concepts of good and bad reception "" You are a very strange people; boast about the reception of your ambassadors. Haven't you heard that when we ride on horseback through the streets, we warn the last tramp not to look at us?

On one of the most boring and lonely days of her fifteenth year, the girl Katya was invited to visit and on a warm summer evening, accompanied by a hospitable hostess, she decided to walk along a quiet street to the carriage on foot. At that moment, a young man came out of the alley towards the girls, who seemed to Catherine to be very large, but, nevertheless, interested her in his manners and appearance. He turned out to be an acquaintance of the Samarin family, with whom the countess had a chance to visit. Thus began her acquaintance with her future husband, Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Dashkov, who was not a member of the house of Count Voronotsov and had some stains on his reputation, which, if the acquaintance had taken place earlier, would have prevented a happy marriage.

But it so happened that after meeting on the street, relations began to develop and Prince Dashkov had to make efforts, find ways to, having already obtained the consent of the girl, be accepted into her uncle's house.

The groom's mother had long dreamed of marrying her son and therefore turned out to be quite happy with his decision. However, all the formalities were observed. In the family of the princes Dashkovs, quite patriarchal traditions reigned, and marriage could not take place without the consent of the mother.

This marriage was also blessed by the godmother of the bride, Empress Elizabeth, who once, after the opera, accompanied by one court person, dropped into the fire for dinner.
And in the same winter, Ekaterina Dashkova had a chance to get acquainted with the future Empress Catherine. The Grand Ducal couple visited the house of Chancellor Vorontsov for a visit, and both Catherines were quite pleased with each other, experiencing sincere sympathy and finding complete mutual understanding.

Soon the wedding took place, and in February of the following year, at the age of sixteen, the young princess Dashkova became a mother, having given birth to a daughter.

The daughter was taken away by her mother-in-law to the village, in July the second pregnancy begins.
Prince Dashkov, concerned about the health of his wife, asks for a vacation.
Empress Elizabeth is ill, permission to leave can be given by the Grand Duke, and he demands the arrival of Prince Dashkov in St. Petersburg.

The young pregnant wife remained in Moscow, and her husband served as the heir to the crown in his palace near St. Petersburg. The service consisted of walks and pleasant conversations in the fresh air. Relations between the future emperor and the prince were established as most friendly, but by the time he left home, Prince Dashkov was very ill. With difficulty, he reached Moscow, and there, afraid to come unhealthy to his pregnant wife, he stopped at the palace of his aunt nearby.

At this time, Ekaterina Romanovna's contractions begin. Next to her are the mother-in-law, the sister-in-law and the midwife. But the stupid maid, who heard the news of the arrival of her husband and father out of the corner of her ear, whispers in her ear to the hostess that her husband is in Moscow, but does not go home because of a severe sore throat.

Ekaterina Romanovna convinces her mother-in-law and sister-in-law that these are not contractions, but so, she seized her stomach, gets rid of both, orders the midwife to accompany her on the way, which makes her hair stand on end, and goes on foot to meet her husband. On foot, because it is impossible to use the sleigh without disturbing the secrets.

During the journey, she hangs several times on the shoulders of the unfortunate midwife from labor pain, but gets to her husband's bedroom, where he safely loses consciousness in the first minute of the meeting. After that, she is unconsciously loaded onto a stretcher and carried home. The stunned mother-in-law cannot believe her eyes and exactly an hour later the boy Mikhail is born. Who, however, will die exactly one year later in 1762. And no one will tell her the news of his death, but her confidante, Empress Catherine the Great, by that time already elevated to the throne by the will of this young woman.

It happened at the moment when the Empress was traveling to Moscow for the coronation ceremony. Dashkova and her husband accompanied Ekaterina, but decided to visit their second child, who had been placed in the care of her grandmother in an estate near Moscow. The Empress dissuaded the young parents in every possible way and in the end was forced to tell them the truth about the death of their son.
"This news greatly upset me, but did not shake my intention to see my mother-in-law," writes Dashkova. "The mother-in-law, no doubt, was also dejected by the loss of her grandson, from whom she had not been separated from the moment of his birth"

A wonderful touch to the canvas of intra-family and family relations of the nobility.

Insolent self-will cost Dashkova the loss of a place of honor in the temple during the coronation of the empress. The Orlovs, who intrigued against her, took advantage of the situation and placed the main character of the palace coup in the gallery, according to the status of her husband, forgetting about the custom of those awarded the Order of St. Catherine to stand in the forefront next to the kings during any significant ceremonies. But Dashkova did not inflate the scandal and wrote in her memoirs that in her heart she considered this gesture pathetic. She went to her distant place with a smile, depriving her opponents of the joy of seeing grief on her face.

Now let's pay attention to the described episode of decisive and rash actions, when, at the peak of emotional excitement, a young seventeen-year-old woman, despising the birth pain, goes out alone on the street and overcomes the winter streets on foot in order to achieve her goal. For the first time there was a need to see her husband after separation.
The second time Dashkova committed such an act was when news came to their house of the imminent death of Empress Elizabeth. Twenty days before that, she had spent in bed due to illness, but on December 20, 1861, she got up, dressed warmly and, leaving the carriage not far from the wooden palace on the Moika, occupied by the imperial family, went on foot to the palace. Late at night she went up a small secret staircase and asked the Grand Duchess's maid to lead her to her. The future empress was already in bed, but Dashkova insisted on her own. When Catherine was informed about the visitor, she could not believe it for a long time. Dashkova was ill for three weeks, she did not leave the house, she did not receive her.
I had to believe.

Dashkova misses a lot in her notes. Let me remind you that her cousin was the mistress of the Grand Duke. According to some hints, it can be assumed that the entire Vorontsov family strongly hoped that Elizabeth would receive the main prize - power and the crown.
Peter publicly humiliated his wife. Peter spoke publicly about his children being illegitimate. Dashkova delicately keeps silent about all this, describing only those speeches of her godfather in which he made political miscalculations. Personal she touches the edge.

A night visit on the eve of Elizabeth's death could mean only one thing - she knew that it was urgent to interfere with the plans of her sister and her lover, otherwise trouble would threaten everyone.

During this meeting, a certain agreement was reached and assurances of unconditional devotion were received. The Grand Duchess threw herself on Dashkova's neck. They sat tightly hugging each other for several minutes.
Poor Prince Dashkov was sincerely amazed when, upon returning home, he did not find his ailing wife, not only in bed, but also in the house. But having learned the details of the meeting, he was satisfied.
Elizabeth dies December 25th.
1862 was the year when, thanks to the activities of an 18-year-old woman, history changed its vector.

Dashkova made her third decisive exit to the street on the day of the coup.

All the efforts and subtle intrigues to win over to the side of the conspirators the highest echelon of the Russian oligarchy in the person of completely indifferent persons like Razumovsky, who never participated in intrigues and served the crown faithfully simply because he respected the authorities, could go to hell because they arrested an officer Passeka. June 27, 1762. The whole day, the top of the conspiracy found out for what exactly he was arrested. Grigory Orlov, who personally came to Dashkoa for advice, hesitated and did not know what to do next. Panin, who was with them, was also not sure of anything.

When everyone went to spread the news about Passek's arrest further, Dashkova threw a man's overcoat over her shoulders and set off on foot down the street. A rider appeared in front of her. Intuitively, she realized that this was one of the Orlovs, whom she did not know by sight, except for Grigory, but she called out to the rider saying "Orlov!"

It was Aleksei with the disturbing news that Passek had been arrested as a state criminal and was under heavy guard.

Dashkova gave orders like an experienced commander in chief.
Shortly before this, she hid a hired carriage in a secluded place in Peterhof, because it was clear that Catherine would not be able to use the palace carriages in case of an alarm.
Despite this, an hour later there was a knock on the door of her house and it was the third brother Orlov, who came to ask if they were in too much of a hurry to act.

Dashkova was beside herself with anger.

She demanded to immediately bring the Empress to the Izmailovsky regiment, which was fully prepared to swear allegiance to her.

Having changed from the uniform of the Izmailovsky regiment, she, together with the empress, took the oath at the jubilant guards.
The rest of the events are known.

The coup is the abdication of the emperor.
The murder of the renounced Peter. Dashkova believed for the rest of her life and said everywhere that the Empress was not involved in this death.

Dashkova did not know about the bed achievements of Grigory Orlov. When she realized that Catherine was not as pure as she imagined her, she could not hide her attitude to this issue. She despised the Orlovs, they paid her by harming her in any way they could and deprived her of the favor of the empress.
The first conflict was that the Orlovs tried to arrest her father and sister Elizabeth, beloved of Peter. But Catherine the Great promised her protection and care. As a result, she was married off and removed from her eyes.

Having become the engine of this revolution, Ekaterina Dashkova refused almost all awards, behaved independently and, soon widowed, asked for permission to go abroad. She did not marry again. Having traveled all over Europe, she gained fame and friends. Upon returning to her homeland, she headed the Russian Academy of Sciences, which made her personality even more significant, because for a woman such a position was unthinkable at that time. Emperor Paul, destroying everything. created by his mother, dismissed Dashkova from this post and placed her under house arrest. The next emperor Alexander restored justice, and offered her to take this post again, but she refused.

The eldest daughter Anastasia lived a stormy life. Her mother disinherited her and refused to see her. Ordering her not to let her say goodbye to her own body.
The younger son, Pavel, became the leader of the Moscow Dorians, but was very frivolous. His marriage was the purest misalliance, even without love. As husband and wife, the couple lived for a short time, and then parted. Dashkova refused to meet her daughter-in-law and saw her for the first time after the death of her son in 1809, nineteen years after their wedding.
She died in 1810. She was buried in the church of the life-giving Trinity in the village of Troitskoye, Kaluga Region.