Five Empresses: Court Life in Eighteenth-Century Russia

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From the untimely demise of the 52-year-old Peter the Great in 1725 to nearly the end of that century, the fate of the Russian empire would rest largely in the hands of five tsarinas. This book tells their stories. Peter's widow Catherine I (1725-27), an orphan and former laundress, would gain control of the ancestral throne, a victorious army, and formidable navy in a country that stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Next, Anna Ioannovna (1730-40), chosen by conniving ministers who sought an ineffectual puppet, would instead tear up the document that would have changed the course of Russian history forever only to rule Russia as her private fiefdom and hunting estate. The ill-fated Anna Leopoldovna (1740-41), groomed for the throne by her namesake aunt, would be Regent for her young son only briefly before a coup by her aunt Elizabeth would condemn Anna's family to a life of imprisonment, desolation, and death in obscurity. The beautiful and shrewd Elizabeth (1741-61) would seize her father Peter's throne, but, obsessed with her own fading beauty, she would squander resources in a relentless effort to stay young and keep her rivals at bay. Finally, Catherine the Great (1762-96) would overthrow (and later order the murder of) her own husband and rightful heir. Astute and intelligent, Catherine had a talent for making people like her, winning them to her cause; however, the era of her rule would be a time of tumultuous change for both Europe and her beloved Russia. In this vivid, quick-paced account, Anisimov goes beyond simply laying out the facts of each empress's reign, to draw realistic psychological portraits and to consider the larger fate of women in politics. Together, these five portraits represent a history of 18th-century court life and international affairs. Anisimov's tone is commanding, authoritative, but also convivialinviting the reader to share the captivating secrets that his efforts have uncovered.

Reviews

In a remarkable new volume, Anisimov studies the empresses who ruled Russia for a collective 68 years in the 18th century.The ingenious narrative provides the book's continuity, although taking all the empresses seriously as rulers may in itself constitute a new interpretation. Despite a certain quirkiness that may puzzle specialists, the translation reads well, and carefully selected notes reveal a substructure of serious scholarship relying on extensive evidence. This excellent introduction to 18th-century Russia is one of those rare books that will appeal to students of history at all levels of readership. Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. * Choice *
[T]hese are dramatic tales, stories that many more theory-oriented historians probably assume their readers will already know. Anisimov's book now makes acquiring that knowledge easy. * Biography *
With Five Empresses, the Anglophone world has access to Anisimov's marvelous narrative gifts, particularly given the excellent translation by Kathleen Carol.Anisimov tells a fast-paced, colorful, and nugget-filled story that should be especially popular among undergraduates. * The Historian *
[A] valuable contribution to a sparsely worked segment of the field.[a]n engaging work to read. * The Russian Review *
If the lives of Russia's 18th century empresses have been under-scrutinized to this point, compared with their more numerous male antecedents and descendants, then Asimov's book tips the scales back toward something like balance. In Five Empresses, he presents detailed, rich histories of these women's lives that are remarkable for being both readable and rooted in solid research.Russian history is scarcely more interesting that when it delves into the lives of the tsars and tsarinas. And with this book. Anisimov vaults to the front of the pack. One hopes that this will not be the last of his works we see published in English. * Russian Life *
Brimming with intrigue, scandal, mayhem, and murder, the drama of Russiam court life is unrivaled by any contemporary soap opera.Through these five digestible biographies of Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizabeth, and Catherine the Great, the author shines a revealing spotlight on Russian history, culture, and society. * Booklist *
Evgenii Anisimov is one of contemporary Russia's finest historians.His new book is the first comprehensive history of the 18th-century Russian imperial matriarchy and is written with characteristic verve.Anisimov has written an engaging volume which deserves a wide readership. * Historybookclub.com *

Author Bio

EVGENII ANISIMOV teaches at the Institute of History, St. Petersburg, Russia. He is the author of The Reforms of Peter the Great (1993). KATHLEEN CARROLL