Historical anecdotes

history

Superstition

In 1757, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, encouraged by the Austrian court, decided to declare war on King Frederick II of Prussia (1712-86) and ordered Chancellor Count Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Rumin (1693-1768) to draw up a manifesto on this occasion. When the treaty was ready, and the Chancellor presented it to the Empress, she took a pen and, having signed the first letter of her name E, stopped and talked about something. At this time, the flying fly sat on paper and crawling on the ink, spoiled the written letter. The Empress considered this a bad omen and immediately destroyed the manifesto. The chancellor had much trouble persuading the empress, and then in a few weeks, to sign a new declaration of war.

Young man.

In his youth, being in Peterhof on guard, Suvorov stood on the clock at the Monplaisir Palace. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1741-1761) passed by; Suvorov saluted her. The princess drew attention to him and asked him what his name was. Learning that he was the son of Vasily Ivanovich, who was known to her, she took out a silver ruble and wanted to give the young Suvorov. He refused to take it, explaining that the sentry regulations forbid taking watch money. “Well done,” said the Empress, “you know the service”; she rubbed him on the cheek and offered to kiss her hand. “I will put the ruble here on earth,” she added, “when you change, take it.” This ruble Suvorov kept all his life.

Academician Lomonosov

Among those scientists who were patronized by Ivan Shuvalov was Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov (1711-65). In 1752. He wrote to Shuvalov “Letter on the Uses of Glass”, in which there were such lines: “They think in vain about things, Shuvalov, Who revere glass below minerals...” Once Shuvalov argued with Lomonosov and angrily said: “We will leave you from the Academy!” "No," replied Lomonosov, "do not let the Academy fall behind me!"

Sculptor Ivan Shuvalov once saw that the palace stoner cleverly cuts various trinkets from the bone. Shuvalov talked with him, realized that the sculptor had the talent of a sculptor, and gave him an appropriate education. The largest Russian sculptor of the XVIII century Fedot Ivanovich Shubin (1740-1805) was obtained from the source.

Shi da porridge is our food

In the dining room of the palace of Catherine II in Tsarskoye Selo, an “automated” serving of dishes was arranged. Each diner could demand any dish, writing the name on the tablet and sending it to the lower floor. There was a kitchen. And from there the ordered food was raised on a specially made elevator. The list of dishes in the kitchen was so large that it could satisfy the most demanding guest. And only once the chefs could not serve the required dish, ordered by A.V. Suvorov, dining at the Empress. He ordered soldier's shy and porridge.

Chet Trubetskoy - Princess Varvara Alexandrovna and Nikolai Nikitich (1744-1820), inseparably lived in the same house with the couple Kheraskov - poet Mikhail Matveevich (1733-1807) and his wife, writer Elizaveta Vasilievna (1737-1809), née Neronova, about 20 years. Empress Catherine II was extremely surprised and said publicly: “I am not surprised that the brothers (Trubetskoy and Kheraskov were half-brothers) are friendly with each other, but this is what is surprising to me how women get along with each other for so long.”

Based on the materials of the book V.S. Vygodsky.