Anna Matyushkina

Last updated
Anna Alekseevna Matyushkina
Anna Matyushkina.jpg
Born1722
Died3 May 1804
Noble family Gagarin
Spouse(s)Dmitry Mikhailovich Matyushkin
IssueSofia Dmitrievna Matyushkina
FatherAlexei Matveevich Gagarin
MotherAnna Petrovna Shafirova

Princess Anna Alekseevna Gagarina married Matyushkina(1722-1804), was a Russian courtier. She served as Maid of Honour to Empress Elizabeth I, State Lady to Catherine the Great, and Ober-Hoffmeisterin to Empress Maria Feodorvna She married in 1754 to count Dmitry Mikhailovich Matyushkin. [1]

Contents

Biography

Anna was the eldest sister of Matvey Alekseevich Gagarin and granddaughter of Prince Matvey Petrovich Gagarin on her father's side, and on her mother's, she was a granddaughter of Peter Shafirov, who served under Peter the Great as Vice-Chancellor. She had two other sisters who were Maids of Honour to Grand Duchess Catherine Alekseevna. In 1746, one of her sisters died from fever, and Elizabeth I called for Anna from Moscow to take her sister's place. [2] Her remaining sister, Daria Alekseevna, married the fiancée of their deceased sister Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn.

At the end of 1748, Anna was with Catherine, Pytor, and Empress Elizabeth who was visiting Alexei Razumovsky in the village of Gostilitsy where he had purpose built a palace in order to house the Imperial family when they came to visit. [3] About six o'clock in morning the foundation began to collapse, there had been several loud cracks heard over night, by morning sentries observed large stone slabs falling out from under the house and the house began to sink. Among the seriously wounded from this incident was Princess Gagarina. In her attempt to escape the house, she had passed though the small kitchen attached to her bedroom where a stove collapsed, killing three footmen who slept nearby and broke the divider, pushing Gagarina onto the bed where several bricks fell on her head, seriously wounding her and the maid who had tried to escape with her. [2]

In her memoirs, Catherine the Great mentioned Anna's benevolence more than once, who of all her maids of honour, she describes as the most devoted to her, and this was shown in her practice. She first acted as messenger in a romance between the Grand Duchess and Zakhar Chernyshev, when she realised what was growing between the few, she scolded Catherine for putting her in such danger, and refused to dispatch the love letters anymore. As seen by the tone of her writhng, the Grand Duchess took no offense to this, and even describes Princess Gagarina as 'hating' Saltykov, a favourite of the Empress and experiencing grief when Gagarina had to leave court when she eventually married. [2]

Gagarina was not well liked my Elizabeth I, who in response of Gagarina's liking of Ivan Shuvalov, a favourite of the empress, often reprimanded her outfits and formally forbid her from wearing certain fashionable dresses. Wanting to alienate Gagarina from the court, the empress assisted her in arranging the marriage between herself and Matyushkin. She persuaded the prince's mother, who didn't want her son to marry the princess who was 38, and considered ugly. The arrangement was helped by the fact that Anna was heir to her childless brother's fortune. They were married 6 November 1754, not long after the birth of the future Paul I of Russia.

Later life

Despite the loss of her favourite maid of honour, Catherine was happy to see her happily married, and still maintained a strong relationship with her. In 1759, Anna was present at the death of Catherine's youngest child Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna, who was only one year old. She accompanied the child to the Nevsky Monastery where she was on duty until the burial of the child.

On the date of Catherine II's coronation, Matyushkina was appointed the position of Statsdame ahead of even Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova.

In 1774, her husband, Dmitri fell from honour as he was seen as dissent between the young Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich and his newly appointed tutor Ivan Saltykov, telling the stuednt that Saltykov was sent to spy on him for his mother, as he desired the position. As a result, the Count was banned from appearing at court, as such Matyushkina had to retreat to the family's estates. Mikhail Shcherbatov scolded the empress for this decision, saying that even though Countess Matyushkina had been there for her through thick and thin had "finally became discarded". [4]

After the death of Catherine the Great, Paul I appointed her Ober-Hoffmeisterin in memory of her service to the court of his father. She was the first courtier to wear the insignia on the right side of her body. Due to her old age, she could not attend the coronation, regardless, she was granted the Order of Saint Catherine first class, and later send miniature portraits of himself and his wife for her to wear.

Family

In Saint Petersburg, she owned a mansion located at 55 Bolshaya Morskaya Street [5] and a property on Nevsky Prospect opposite the Chicherin House. [2] Upon the death of her brother she also inherited the Trekhgornoye and Sennitsy estates near Moscow. She died on 3 May 1804, and is buried in the Nevsky Monastery near the Announciation Church. She and her husband had two children.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine I of Russia</span> Empress of Russia from 1725 to 1727

Catherine IAlekseevna Mikhailova was the second wife and empress consort of Peter the Great, and empress regnant of Russia from 1725 until her death in 1727.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova</span> Major figure of the Russian Enlightenment (1743–1810)

Princess Yekaterina Romanovna Dashkova (born Countess Vorontsova; was an influential noblewoman, a major figure of the Russian Enlightenment and a close friend of Empress Catherine the Great. She was part of the coup d'état that placed Catherine on the throne, the first woman in the world to head a national academy of sciences, the first woman in Europe to hold a government office and the president of the Russian Academy, which she helped found. She also published prolifically, with original and translated works on many subjects, and was invited by Benjamin Franklin to become the first female member of the American Philosophical Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia</span> Duchess consort of Holstein-Gottorp

Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia was the eldest daughter of Emperor Peter I of Russia and his wife Empress Catherine I. Her younger sister, Empress Elizabeth, ruled between 1741 and 1762. While a potential heir in the reign of her nephew Peter II, she never acceded to the throne due to political reasons. However, her son Peter III became Emperor in 1762, succeeding Elizabeth. She was the Duchess Consort of Holstein-Gottorp by marriage. She was born in Moscow and died in Kiel in her youth, at the age of 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld</span> Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia

Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, also known as Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia, was a German princess of the ducal house of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who became the wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Vorontsov</span> Russian politician

Count (1760) Roman Illarionovich (Larionovich) Vorontsov (1717–1783) was a Full Chamberlain (1746), General-Chef (1761), Senator (1760), Vladimir, Penza and Tambov Governor-General (1778–1783), one of the first figures of Russian Freemasonry. Brother of Chancellor Mikhail Vorontsov and Ivan Vorontsov. He was the owner of the estate Andreevskoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalia Alexeievna (Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt)</span> Tsarevna of Russia

Natalia Alexeievna, Tsarevna of Russia was the first wife of Paul Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, son of the Empress Catherine II. She was born as Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt as the fifth child of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his spouse Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Branitskaya</span> Russian courtier

Countess Alexandra Branitskaya, also known as Sanecka and Countess Branicka, was a leading Russian courtier. She was the niece and confidante of Grigory Potemkin, and Catherine the Great's lady-in-waiting. She was one of the most notable socialites at the Russian Imperial court during Catherine's reign, and was conspicuously treated as a virtual member of the Imperial family. Through her marriage to Branicki she became administrator of the immense estate of Biała Cerkiew .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Ivanovna of Russia</span> Tsarevna of Russia

Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia was a daughter of Tsar Ivan V and Praskovia Saltykova, eldest sister of Empress Anna of Russia and niece of Peter the Great. By her marriage, she was a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varvara Golovina</span>

Countess Varvara Nikolayevna GolovinanéePrincess Golitsyna was an artist and memoirist from Russian nobility, maid of honour of the Russian court, a close confidant of Empress Elizabeth, favorite Ivan Shuvalov's niece and Dame of Order of Saint Catherine (1816).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Baryatinskaya</span> Russian countess

Countess Anna Ivanovna Tolstaya, née Princess Baryatinskaya was the sister of prince Ivan Baryatinsky, wife of Marshal Nikolai Alexandrovich Tolstoy (1765–1816), a close friend of the Empress Elizabeth Alexeyevna and memoirist Countess Varvara Golovina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Shuvalova</span> Russian courtier

Countess Catherine Shuvalova,, was a Russian courtier, Empress Catherine II's Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia, confidant of Platon Zubov and Ober-Hofmeisterin of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alexeievna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalya Borshchova</span> Russian courtier

Natalya Semyonovna Borshchova, was a Russian courtier. She graduated from the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens. She served as lady in waiting to grand duchess Maria Feodorovna, and was a cavalier lady of the Order of Saint Catherine. She was a favorite of Maria, accompanied her to France in 1782, and known at court as a talented amateur actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Golitzyna</span> Russian noble, courtier and philanthropist

Princess Maria Mikhailovna Golitzyna was a Russian noble, courtier and philanthropist. She served as Ober-Hofmeisterin to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia from 1894 until 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Kurakin (1697)</span> Russian diplomat

Prince Alexander Borisovich Kurakin was a statesman and diplomat from the Kurakin family: an Active Privy Councillor, the Ober-Stallmeister (1736), a senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexey Kurakin</span>

Prince Alexei Borisovich Kurakin was a Russian statesman, Active Privy Councillor of the 1st class (1826), who held a number of top positions in the reign of Paul I and Alexander I. The direct ancestor of all subsequent Kurakin princes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Olsufiev</span>

Adam Vasilyevich Olsufiev was a figure in the Russian Enlightenment, a lover of literature, the patron of opera and theaters, Cabinet Minister and State Secretary of Empress Catherine II. He ended his career as a senator with the rank of Actual Privy Councilor. Grandfather of Count Vasily Olsufiev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hendrikov</span>

The Hendrikov family is the name of an extinct Russian noble family that was created as a result of the marriage between Lithuanian farmer, Simon Hendrik (1672-1728) and Christina Skavronska (1687-1729), sister of Empress Catherine I of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yekaterina Naryshkina</span>

Countess Ekaterina Ivanovna Razumovskaya was a Russian lady of state, cavalier lady, and the wife of the last hetman of the Zaporizhian Host, Kirill Razumovsky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatiana Vasilievna Yusupova</span> Niece of Prince Grigory Potemkin (1769–1841)

Princess Tatiana Vasilievna Yusupova, nee Engelhardt was a niece of Prince Grigory Potemkin and a maid of honour to Empress Catherine the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Kurakina</span>

Elena Stepanovna Kurakina was the daughter of Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin, the wife of Senator Boris–Leonty Kurakin, one of the favorites of Emperor Peter III.

References

  1. Volkov, Nikolay Egorovich: The court of the Russian emperors in his past and present: At 4 o'clock / Comp. NE Volkov. - St. Petersburg: print of R. Golike, 1900. (Волков Николай Егорович: ДВОР РУССКИХ ИМПЕРАТОРОВ В ЕГО ПРОШЛОМ И НАСТОЯЩЕМ)
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lib.ru/Классика: Екатерина Вторая. Собственноручные записки императрицы Екатерины II". az.lib.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  3. "Прошлое и настоящее усадьбы в Гостилицах — Журнальный зал". magazines.gorky.media. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  4. Zenkovsky, Serge A.; Shcherbatov, M. M.; Lentin, A. (July 1970). "On the Corruption of Morals in Russia". Russian Review. 29 (3): 358. doi:10.2307/127566. ISSN   0036-0341. JSTOR   127566.
  5. Зуев, Георгий (2022-05-15). Течет река Мойка. Правый берег. От Невского проспекта до Устья (in Russian). Litres. ISBN   978-5-457-82236-8.