Biography
The "Golden Age" of Empress Catherine II is called a century of favorites. Historians call several men, especially approximate to Ekaterina Alekseevna. But the first positions managed to take only two - Gregory Orlov and Gregory Potemkin. This love triangle and today are interested in many: from historians, writers and directors to ordinary ordinary people.
It is noteworthy that both favorites did not have highly high descent, which did not prevent them from occupying noticeable places both in the personal life of the Empress of the All-Russian and in the history of the state. The bright prince Grigory Grigorievich Orlov became only in 1772, when he turned 38 years old. Before that, his family although he did not disagree, but did not occupy the noticeable step in the hierarchy.
Childhood and youth
Gregory was born in October 1734 in the village of Lyutkino Tver province. Lyutkino - a generic estate of the Stat adviser and the governor of Novgorod Grigory Ivanovich Orlova and his wife Luchery Zinovieva. In total, the enemy was born 6 sons, one of which died in infancy. Grisha was second to seniority.
Children's years, Gregory Orlova passed in the capital. He did not receive a good formation, and the home turned out to be only the initial and then low quality, which later, the highly educated empress noted with the regret.
In no sciences, Grisha did not particularly understand. French knew perfectly. But beauty and delete, as well as many wonderful human qualities, he was generously gifted.
When the son turned 15, the father is reputable to his and the rest of his offspring in St. Petersburg. Determined to the beginning of a military career in ordinary soldiers of Semenovsky regiment. Here Gregory Orlov served from 1749 to 1757. It was raised to the rank of officer and sent for a seven-year war.
Military service
In war, Gregory Grigorievich Orlov showed an incredible valor. Three times wounded in battle at the Tsordorf, he did not leave the battlefield. They rummage, he possessed the incredible force. Yes, and he was not offended by the growth - rumped over his comrades in the ranks of two heads.
The validity of the officer was noticed by her supervisory guidance. In 1759, Orlova sent to St. Petersburg as the accompanying famous captive - Count Schwerin, which served at the King of Prussia with a flibel adjutant.
In St. Petersburg, an intelligent and brave servant brought to himself Count Peter Shuvalov - General Feldschmeister. He took him to serve an adjutant. Grigory Orlov again reunited with brothers who served in the guard. Orlov was famous for the whole city with their noisy pours and couments. And also - love love. Gregory showed a special recklessness, hearing the novel with his mistress of his Chef Shuvalov - Princess Kurakina.
Favorite
In the punishment of Shuvalov sent a bold adjutant to the Grenadier regiment. There and noted the brave 25-year-old handsome Catherine Alekseevna. A novel broke out a novel between the ventpanery and this glorious.
From that moment on, the biography of Gregory Orlov, the favorite of the Empress itself, went to a new historical turn. The favorite not only became the father of the royal sibling of Alexey, subsequently the last name Bobrinsky, but also helped Catherine to climb the throne.
The Orlov brothers showed a significant personal loyalty to the crowned beloved Gregory and became its indispensable allies in the struggle for power. They helped to remove her dangerous spouse Peter III from the path of the queen, who was going to get rid of the wrong wife, sharpening her into the monastery and to take their favorite of Elizaveu Vorontsov in his wife. The brothers decided to become on the side of the empress, including because they considered Peter a traitor who passed to the side of Prussia.
During the palace coup in the summer of 1762, Gregory Orlov with the brothers managed to drag on his side of all the fluctuating military, who soon swore the Queen. It seems that the loyal brothers helped destroy the overthrown emperor. According to the official version, he died from hemorrhoidal colic, and in the unofficial was brought by Brother Gregory - Alexei.
The favorite of Queen Grigory Orlov, along with the brothers, was generously mowed by mercy and honors of a grateful woman. The officer was produced in Majo-General, received the title of real chamber, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and the sword, soaked with diamonds.
For the time being, Grigory Grigorievich Orlov was the main man in the life of the Empress. But he could not remake himself. He remained a low-educated coarse forever, sincerely devoted to Queen, but not able to become her right hand, the adviser who can generate useful ideas and engage in the construction of the Russian state.
Soon the place of the favorite near this great woman took another decent man - Grigory Potemkin.
Returning a few years ago, it must be said that the ambitious Orlov wanted to see their brother with a legitimate spouse of the Empress. But it was not suused to come true. According to one version, its surroundings rebelled. One of the most influential impends, Count Nikita Panin, at a meeting of the State Council, told the Queen that she could act as it pleases, but Mrs. Orlova never had an empress of Russia.
According to another version, this marriage did not want the queen herself, who understood that everything she needed from Grigory Orlov, she took. Nearby she was needed not only the faithful, but also a very smart man. Such as Potemkin.
Grigoria Grigorievich at the order of his fame and influence was once again to prove the devotion to the Queen and the state. In 1771, he was sent to Moscow, where the plague raged. Related Muscovites raised a riot. Orlov managed to suppress him and accepted effective measures to eliminate the epidemic. Its actions were thoughtful and lightning.
Grigory Orlov, who returned from Moscow, Grigory Orlov was again messed upwards and honors. In the royal village, the gate was erected, on which the stitch of the poet Maikova was blocked:
"Orlov from the trouble is spilled by Moscow."Personal life
According to some historians, the real love for the favorite of the Empress came at the sunset of his life. More unnecessary Queen Welject was sent to one of his estates, where he corrected his health. Sometimes he traveled abroad, but most of the time spent on the idleness in the luxurious estate.
The news that Grigory Orlov married his 18-year-old cousin Catherine Zinovieva, Sydote, who had been in care of him before this 4 years, made a lot of noise in St. Petersburg.
The church immediately responded with the categorically condemnation of this marriage at the nearest relative. Another threatened to be imprisoned into the monastery, but the queen remembered the former minors of the favorite and stuck for him. She even gave him the spouse of Stat-Ladies title.
Personal life Grigory Orlova lit up an incredible, but short happiness. He forgot about the former love for pirushkam and gulyankas. Hurry up home, to his adorable young wife Katten, who seemed to be reciprocating him too. But suddenly, on the fourth year, their happy life together, Kati has discovered a char. A caring husband is ledging her in Switzerland for treatment. But a young 22-year-old woman died suddenly in Lausanne.
Death
The end of the beloved woman in the summer of 1782 became an irreplaceable tragedy for Gregory Orlov. He could not survive this fatal strike and merged with the mind.
The brothers transported it to the Moscow estate Neskuchny (later near her the famous non-secret garden was broken).
Here Gregory Orlov, despite all the efforts of doctors, slowly faded in a quiet obstruction. He was not April 1783.
Buried the former royal favorite in the manor of Otrada in Semenovsky, but in 1832 his coffin was transported to Novgorod and was reburied by the Western Wall of the St. George Cathedral, where his brothers Alexei and Fedor had already rested. Their burial before our time was not preserved.