Catherine I (1684 - 1727)

Catherine was born on April 5 (15), 1684 in Lithuania in the family of the Latvian peasant Samuil Skavronsky. Before adopting Orthodoxy, Catherine was named Marta (Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich became her godfather, hence her patronymic). She did not receive education and until the end of her days she only knew how to sign. 25 August 1702, when the Russian troops captured Marienburg, Marta first became a war trophy - the mistress of some non-commissioned officer, and later ended up in the baggage train of B.P. Sheremetev, who gave her away Soon in 1703, Tsar Peter saw Martha at Menshikov's house, and this meeting finally decided the fate of the 18-year-old laundress. Since 1709, Catherine accompanied Peter on all campaigns and travel. In the Prut campaign of 1711, when Russian troops were surrounded, she saved her husband and the army by giving her jewelry to the Turkish vizier and persuading him to sign an armistice.

On his return to St. Petersburg on February 20, 1712, Peter married Catherine. The marriage was secret and took place in a chapel that belonged to Prince. Menshikov. On December 23, 1721, the Senate and Synod recognized Catherine as Empress. For her coronation in May 1724, a crown was made that surpassed the tsar's in splendor, and Peter himself placed it on his wife's head. After the death of Peter, with the help of Menshikov, I.I.Buturlin, P.I. Yaguzhinsky and with the support of the guards, she was enthroned under the name of Catherine I. By agreement with Menshikov, Catherine did not deal with state affairs, and on February 8, 1726 transferred control of the country to the Supreme Privy Council.Despite Menshikov's enormous influence, many good deeds were done during the reign of Ekaterina Alekseevna. Among the most significant events during the reign of Catherine were the opening of the Academy of Sciences on November 19, 1725, the sending of Vitus Bering's expedition to Kamchatka (February 1725), as well as the improvement of diplomatic relations with Austria. Catherine wanted to transfer the throne to her daughter, Elizaveta Petrovna, but for a couple days before her death, under pressure from Menshikov, she signed a will on the transfer of the throne to the grandson of Peter I - Peter II Alekseevich.