Pavel Maria 1782 in Europe. Paul I conquers Europe. The journey to Rome was the last for the apostle

428 days, about 160 cities and almost 14 thousand kilometers. In 1781-1782, the son of Empress Catherine II and successor to the Russian throne, Paul I, made a grand tour of Europe. Typically, young European aristocrats used such large trips as the final stage of education. However, in the case of Pavel Petrovich, his trip abroad also had a political aspect.

Historians are still arguing whether the desire of the 27-year-old Grand Duke to travel to European countries was voluntary, or whether Catherine II insisted on it. Most likely, Paul was not eager to leave Russia, but the empress really wanted to keep her unloved heir as far away from the throne as possible and thought about making her grandson Alexander the future emperor. Perhaps that is why she spared no expense and allocated 330 thousand gold rubles for Pavel's trip. At the same time, she categorically forbade him to visit Berlin and the court of King Frederick the Great, fearing that the pro-Prussian sentiments of the crown prince put her plans for rapprochement with Austria.

Having received the last instructions from his mother, on September 18, 1781, Pavel, together with his wife Maria Feodorovna, left Tsarskoye Selo. The unofficial nature of their trip was emphasized by the fact that they traveled under the names of the Count and Countess du Nord (translated from the French Du Nord "Northern"). The royal couple was accompanied by a small retinue, consisting of aristocrats and intellectuals who were familiar with foreign life firsthand.

Portrait of Paul I

The first weeks of the journey passed through Pskov, Polotsk, Mogilev and Kyiv. The beauties of the latter especially surprised Paul. The people gladly greeted the Tsarevich. The French diplomat Marquis Charles de Verac wrote: "People ran in droves to meet the august travelers, greeted them and almost threw themselves under the wheels of their carriage." The captain of the imperial fleet, Sergei Pleshcheev, rode ahead of everyone. He chose a place to sleep, organized the life of grand ducal persons. Subsequently, he compiled a detailed description of the trip of Paul and his retinue, indicating all the places where they stopped, and the number of miles traveled by travelers.

By mid-October, they reached the borders of Poland. A ball was held in the Vyshnevetsky Palace in honor of the Count and Countess of the North. Then we arrived in Olesko, where we saw the Olesko Castle, which remembers the birth of the King of Poland, Jan III Sobieski. In the capital of Silesia, Troppau, travelers were personally met by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In his carriage, Pavel Petrovich and his wife continued on their way to Vienna. Here, Maria Feodorovna was eagerly awaited by her parents, Friedrich Eugene of Württemberg and Frederic Dorothea Sophia of Brandenburg-Swedt. The meeting with them turned out to be very warm. The imperial reception was no less cordial. Paul so endeared Joseph to himself that he told him secret information regarding the union with Catherine, about which Paul, delivered by his mother from public affairs, had no idea.

Portrait of Maria Feodorovna

On the evening of November 10, the Tsarevich, who adored theatrical performances, visited the national theater. His wife, as soon as she appeared in the box, was greeted with thunderous applause. Also in November, at the Burgtheater, they planned to present Shakespeare's play Hamlet for Pavel. However, the Austrian actor Johann Franz Hieronymus Brockmann refused to perform leading role. Alluding to the palace coup and the mysterious death of Father Paul Peter III, he stated that he did not want two Hamlets in the hall at the same time.

Theatrical performances, balls, masquerade, hunting, visiting factories, maneuvers and parades - the program of Paul's stay in Vienna turned out to be very rich. At the end of December, the du Nord family left the imperial court and reached Venice via Trieste. Here, in their honor, luxurious festivities were held, during which an artificial dove flew over the Piazza San Marco, scattering sparks of light on the fly. The guests were also entertained with a regatta on the Grand Canal, acquaintance with famous Venetian artists. Pavel liked it very much in the Most Serene. He especially noted how wise the government of the republic is, where the people and the government are practically one family.

Having visited Padua, Ferrara and Bologna, Paul's retinue arrived in Rome, but stopped in the "eternal city" for only two days, as they planned to examine it in detail on the way back. By the end of January, the travelers arrived in Naples, where they climbed Mount Vesuvius, visited Pompeii and Herculaneum several times, got acquainted with the archaeological excavations.

Dinner and ball in honor of the Count and Countess of the North at the San Benedetto Theatre. Francesco Guardi, 1782

From Naples they soon returned to Rome. Pavel and his wife were guided through the ancient city by the head of the French embassy, a great lover of poetry and art, Cardinal de Berni. Together with him, the count and countess toured the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, looked into the Pantheon, visited the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Pius VI arranged an audience for Pavel Petrovich and Maria Feodorovna. At the reception, he presented them with a mosaic "View of the Colosseum" in an elegant bronze frame by the Italian master Cesare Aguatti.

On the way to Florence, Paul visited the estate of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in Caprarola. Palazzo led the heir in admiration. Caprarola Castle became the prototype of the Mikhailovsky Castle, the construction of which began in St. Petersburg in 1797.

In Florence, Pavel Petrovich was met by the Duke of Tuscany Leopold, brother of Joseph II. With him, for the first time during the entire trip, he spoke seriously about politics and expressed dissatisfaction with the conquering ambitions of his mother. In his opinion, Russia is already large enough, and instead of expanding its territory, it is necessary to deal with internal problems. Leopold delicately deviated from any response to this tirade. In a letter to his brother, he described Paul as follows: “Count Severny, in addition to his great mind, talents and prudence, has the talent to correctly comprehend ideas and objects and quickly embrace all their aspects and circumstances. From all his speeches it is clear that he is filled with a desire for good.

After Florence were Parma, Milan and Turin. Then the travelers crossed the territory of France, spent about a week in Lyon. The French first of all drew attention to the unattractive appearance of the Grand Duke from Russia. In Bashomon's Notes one can read: “At every step, comments like this reached his (Paul's) hearing: “Ah! What a fool! He endured all this calmly and philosophically.

May 7, 1782 arrived in Paris. A few days later, the grand ducal couple was presented to the King of France, Louis XVI. The court was delighted with the education of Paul and his knowledge of the French language. Together with his wife, he visited the Comedie Francaise, met with Pierre Augustin Beaumarchais, who read to them the handwritten version of The Marriage of Figaro. Her Majesty Marie Antoinette arranged for noble people a luxurious celebration at Versailles. In addition to all kinds of entertainment, Pavel made an inspection of Parisian hospitals, poor people's quarters, and prisons. When the Grand Duke was asked why he was doing this, Paul replied: “The further you are in position from unfortunate and low people, the closer you should approach them in order to know and understand them.”

Pavel Petrovich and Maria Feodorovna in Vienna, 1782

On June 7, the Tsarevich and his retinue left Paris and reached Brussels through Orleans, Amiens and Lille. Here Paul told a mystical story about how he met the ghost of Peter the Great at the very place in St. Petersburg, where Catherine II was preparing to erect an equestrian monument to the emperor by Falcone. "What does this story mean?" Paul was asked. “I will die at a young age,” he replied.

On June 21, 1782, the travelers arrived in Etupe, where they spent more than a month visiting Maria Feodorovna's parents. Then the couple visited Switzerland, and from there they came to Vienna. After a new friendly meeting with Joseph II, the grand ducal couple went home in the fall. The path lay through Krakow, Grodno, Riga and other cities. November 20 all the company returned to St. Petersburg. Catherine met her son without enthusiasm and did not arrange any celebrations on this occasion.

Nothing that the Grand Duke saw during his voyage remained forgotten. The works of art and architecture that struck Paul were reflected in the appearance of his palaces in the near future. For example, chandeliers, sconces, girandoles and other details of the interior of the Mikhailovsky Castle recreated the silver reliefs of the mirrors of the San Benedetto theater in Venice. During their journey, Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna, sparing no expense, bought and received works of art as a gift. As a result, they returned home with a unique collection of paintings, drawings, porcelain, furniture and jewelry. This meeting had a great influence on Russian culture.

Sending Paul to Europe, Catherine II, perhaps, wanted to show the European rulers the weakness of her son, which she herself saw in him. However, the reaction turned out to be completely different - Europe saw in the Grand Duke a worthy heir, capable of governing his country. “I confess that the news of their success exceeded my expectations,” she wrote in response to numerous stories about what a sensation Paul had at the French court. For the first time, the Grand Duke, who escaped from Catherine's tutelage, had the opportunity to personally meet European monarchs and learn a lot from them. He himself will take his throne only 14 years after the completion of his grand tour. Having conquered Europe with his mind, he failed to conquer the Russian nobility and officers, who eliminated him on the night of March 12, 1801 in the Mikhailovsky Castle.

428 days, about 160 cities and almost 14 thousand kilometers. In 1781-1782, the son of Empress Catherine II and successor to the Russian throne, Paul I, made a grand tour of Europe. Usually...

Portrait of Paul I

By mid-October, they reached the borders of Poland. A ball was held in the Vyshnevetsky Palace in honor of the Count and Countess of the North. Then we arrived in Olesko, where we saw the Olesko Castle, which remembers the birth of the King of Poland, Jan III Sobieski. In the capital of Silesia, Troppau, travelers were personally met by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In his carriage, Pavel Petrovich and his wife continued on their way to Vienna. Here, Maria Feodorovna was eagerly awaited by her parents, Friedrich Eugene of Württemberg and Frederic Dorothea Sophia of Brandenburg-Schwedt. The meeting with them turned out to be very warm. The imperial reception was no less cordial. Paul so endeared Joseph to himself that he told him secret information regarding the union with Catherine, about which Paul, delivered by his mother from public affairs, had no idea.

Portrait of Maria Feodorovna

On the evening of November 10, the Tsarevich, who adored theatrical performances, visited the national theater. His wife, as soon as she appeared in the box, was greeted with thunderous applause. Also in November, at the Burgtheater, they planned to present Shakespeare's play Hamlet for Pavel. However, the Austrian actor Johann Franz Hieronymus Brockmann refused to play the title role. Alluding to the palace coup and the mysterious death of Father Paul Peter III, he stated that he did not want two Hamlets in the hall at the same time.

Dinner and ball in honor of the Count and Countess of the North at the San Benedetto Theatre. Francesco Guardi, 1782

15 March, Tuesday. 16. 0 0
Arbat, 53. Memorial apartment of A.S. Pushkin

Scientific session
"Journey of the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich 1781-1782.
(Based on materials from foreign archives)"

2016 marks the 220th anniversary of the beginning of the reign of Paul I and 215 years since his tragic death.

Emperor Paul I is one of the most tragic and controversial figures Russian history. Basically, he is presented as an uneducated martinet obsessed with drill. But history is always written by the winners or the heirs. What do independent archival sources say?

Based on extensive documentary material, the book by Natalia Zazulina “The Mission of the Grand Duke. The Journey of Pavel Petrovich in 1781-1782" is not only a new look at the Grand Duke as a versatile, inquisitive person who is fond of astronomy, architecture, music and speaks several foreign languages, but a detailed guide to Europe in the second half of the 18th century - that Europe which will not be literally in six years.

At the end of the 18th century, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna under the name of Count and Countess of the North undertook a journey through Europe, visiting fourteen states. Their journey is an unread page of our history. Little is written about him, although the grand ducal couple traveled almost along the entire meridian of the Habsburgs, Spanish and French Bourbons - new allies Russian Empire since 1782.
Any trip is new acquaintances with people, traditions, culture, fashion, new impressions and comparison with one's own way of life.

And if the Old World did not expect anything from the trip of Peter I to Europe, which he made seventy years before the described voyage, and looked at the Tsar of Muscovy as exotic, then Grand Duke Paul I was already accepted as an equal.
How did Europe see Grand Duke Paul I? Who did he meet in Europe? What delighted and what disappointed him? What then did he try to repeat in Russia, and what did he try to avoid?

In his preface, the author writes: The foreign trip of 1781-1782 in many ways changed the whole further life of Pavel Petrovich, and especially his short reign, of which I hope to convince my readers on the examples of archival documents and historical evidence.».

Natalia Zazulina used in her work unique documents from a huge number of different archives. Thus, the archives of the Apostolic Library of the Vatican were involved in the work, including its Secret Archive, the National Archives of Great Britain, the archive of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the archive of the Vienna Court Chamber, etc.

In her review of the book by Natalia Zazulina “The Mission of the Grand Duke. Journey of Pavel Petrovich in 1781-1782" Dr. historical sciences, head of the School of Historical Sciences of the National research university Higher School of Economics, Professor A.B. Kamensky noted: “The undoubted scientific and cognitive significance of the book is associated primarily with the involvement of the author and the introduction into scientific circulation a large number new historical sources, including those extracted from foreign archives and still not known not only to the general reader, but also to specialists. Such a thorough expansion of the base of sources of the topic under study allowed N.N. Zazulina to discover new and sometimes unexpected aspects in it, forcing us to take a fresh look at the figure of Paul himself and significantly replenish our understanding of the origins of his political views.

The publication contains more than 1000 colorful and black-and-white illustrations - these are paintings by famous artists, route maps of the grand ducal couple, portraits of historical figures and members of the ruling families. Readers will see many portraits for the first time.

N. Zazulina's book is a fascinating excursion into the history of the 18th century, and everyone will be surprised to find fragments of it in our daily life. The Grand Duke's foreign journey, like all our National history is an adventure, political intrigue and dynastic interests, detective and sitcom combined.

The book "Mission of the Grand Duke. Pavel Petrovich's Journey in 1781-1782" will be of interest to a different circle of readers: historians, connoisseurs of music and theater, travel lovers, people who are fond of architecture and painting, fashion and cooking. Everyone will find something of their own in it.

About the author:
Zazulina Natalia Nikolaevna was born in 1963 in Leningrad. Graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute and the Faculty of History of the Leningrad University. From 1998 to 2008 she worked at the Foundation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II "Reconciliation and Accord". From 1998 to 2006 - Deputy General Director of OJSC Nezavisimaya Gazeta. From 2009 to 2011 she worked in the editorial office of the Moscow Encyclopedia.

Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga of the 1st degree,
Diploma of the Literary Prize "Golden Delvig", 2014
Makariev Prize for 2014-2015 in the nomination "For achievements in the popularization of scientific and historical knowledge"

Entrance with museum tickets

The engravings depict the triumphal procession of the son of Catherine II the Great, the Grand Duke, heir to the Russian throne, the future Emperor of Russia Paul I, entering Venice in 1782, accompanied by his wife Maria Feodorovna, nee Princess Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. The case takes place 14 years before the accession of Pavel Petrovich to the throne. The Crown Prince is 28 years old. Illustrations from the Italian album Currus triumphales ad adventum clarissimorum Moschoviae principum Pauli Petrovitz et Mariae Theodorownae conjugis regali ornandum spectaculo in Divi Marci venetiarum foro die 24. Januarii anno MDCCLXXXII ... .

Journey of the "Count and Countess of the North" to Europe

Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, by I. G. Pullman from the original by P. Batoni
Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, by I. G. Pullman from the original by P. Batoni

In mid-June 1781, by mutual agreement of Empress Catherine with Pavel Petrovich and Maria Feodorovna, it was decided that Their Highnesses would go on a trip to Europe in accordance with the plan outlined by the Empress. The following were appointed to the retinue, which was supposed to accompany high travelers: General N.I. Saltykov with his wife, Colonel Kh.I. Benkendorf with his wife, who was a close friend of Maria Feodorovna, Prince A.B. N. B. Yusupov, a connoisseur of arts, ladies-in-waiting Maria Fedorovna N. S. Borshkova and E. I. Nelidova, as well as several people from Pavel Petrovich’s inner circle: chamber junker F. F. Vadkovsky, lieutenant commander S. I. Pleshcheev, writers Lafermière and Nikolai, priest Samborsky and Dr. Kruse. The departure was scheduled only for September in connection with the inoculation of smallpox to the sons Alexander and Konstantin. On September 19, 1781, Their Imperial Highnesses left Tsarskoye Selo. Through Pskov, Kyiv and the Polish lands, their path lay in Austria. It was decided that they would travel through Europe incognito as the Count and Countess of the North, as was customary for the royal houses of Europe.

At the beginning of January of the new year 1782, Russian travelers were in Venice, where they spent the Venetian week with almost no sleep, visited all the famous palazzos, cathedrals and monasteries, enjoyed the holidays at which “all of Venice” seemed to be having fun: a regatta on the Canal Grande, costumed carnival and a solemn procession of five allegory chariots, decorated with various symbols, in Piazza San Marco, grandiose illumination and fireworks. All these delightful entertainments arranged especially for them, as if in documentary, day after day, event after event, captured in drawings, watercolors, paintings and engravings by the famous Venetians D. Guardi, M.-S. Giampicolli, A. Baratti. If Pavel Petrovich met “his architect” in Poland, then the Grand Duchess found “her artist” in Venice - Angelika Kaufman, a talented portrait painter from Switzerland, elected a member of two academies: the Academy of St. Luke in Rome and the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Left: Regatta in honor of the Count and Countess of the North on January 23, 1782. Engraving M.-S. Giampiccoli. 1782
Right: Received by Pope Pius VI the Count and Countess of the North on February 8, 1782. 1801. Etching by A. Lazzaroni

Thus, the result of the visit of distinguished guests from Russia was the appearance in the art gallery of the Pavlovsk Palace of the diptych A. Kaufman - two moralizing, lyrical-heroic and sublimely sentimental paintings, the plots for which were found in the history of England ("Poisoned Eleanor" and "Healed Eleanor ").

It is interesting that later in Pavlovsk - in the early 1790s - Maria Fedorovna diligently copied the works of Angelika Kaufman with her own hand, in an amateurish way, decorating the interior of the General Office of the Palace with them: on milk glass, the Grand Duchess repeated the most exquisite in coloring work by A. Kaufman "Court Paris”, decorated the fireplace screen with medallions “Cupid’s Fun”, and placed the painting “Venus’s Toilet” on the tabletop of an elegant ladies’ desk. The radiance of Venice in all shades of aquamarine was preserved by an album of blue morocco, trimmed with gold and mosaic, decorated with a sentimental pair of doves, on the sheets of which 19 wonderful gouaches with views of Venice, signed "Giacomo Guardi", are pasted.

Left: Celebration at the San Benedetto theater in Venice. Engraving by A. Baratti. 1782
On right: New Year in Vienna. Colorized engraving by I. Loshenkol. Around 1782. GMZ "Pavlovsk". Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna - in the foreground, second from the right; Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Emperor Joseph II - sitting in the background

Nothing of the “curious and wonderful” seen by the Grand Duke was forgotten, did not sink into oblivion, and years later came to life again in the acquisition of memorable works of art or in a completely original order to the master I.-V. The decoration of a whole ensemble of silver for the Mikhailovsky Castle: chandeliers, sconces, girandoles, pieces of furniture and interior details that recreated what struck me to the core in my youth: the beauty of the mirrors of the San Benedetto theater decorated with silver reliefs in Venice, where he ordered as a keepsake "drawings of the whole theater to preserve this pleasant and great idea." As noted by M.I. Androsova: “Probably, the purchase of Tiepolo’s plafond “Cleopatra’s Feast” for the emperor’s library in the Mikhailovsky Castle should be considered a natural result of Venetian impressions,” as well as the purchase in 1800 of the sculptural collection of Filippo Farsetti (1704–1774), which he met in Venice.

It was not possible to purchase the collection right away, as it was recognized as a national treasure, not subject to sale abroad. But as soon as Venice was annexed by France in 1797, Venetian laws were repealed, including export rules, the Grand Duke, who became Emperor Paul I, was able to fulfill his old dream: the Farcetti collection arrived in St. Petersburg in March 1800 and was donated by him to the Museum of the Imperial Academy of Arts as a teaching aid.

G. Bella. Orphans singing in honor of the Count and Countess of the North on January 20, 1782.

From Venice through Rome, the path lay in the Kingdom of Naples. From Naples they went to Rome. Here they were received by Pope Pius VI, visited the sights: the Roman Forum, the waterfall in Tivoli, in memory of which there were paintings painted by Ducrot. After a two-week stay in Rome, Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna set off for Tuscany. The April stay in Turin, the capital of the Sardinian kingdom, turned out to be extremely pleasant. King Victor-Amedey fell in love with Pavel Petrovich so much that he even began to call him his son.

G. I. Skorodumov
Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich
Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna 1782
GMZ "Pavlovsk"

The apogee of the entire journey was Paris, where the Count and Countess of the North spent a whole month. Among the numerous entertainments and holidays, the guests visited the workshops of artists, got acquainted with hospitals, manufactories, government agencies. A special place in this series is occupied by the trip of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich to the Chantilly estate located north of Paris, the impressions of which were reflected in the parks of Gatchina and Pavlovsk.

Count and Countess Severny ordered, bought, received gifts, and most often these were works of their contemporaries. This is the uniqueness of the Grand Duke's collections of paintings, drawings, porcelain, furniture and bronze, which is why they had a significant impact on the entire spectrum of Russian culture both of their own and subsequent times.

Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. France. Sevr. 1857. Based on the model of L.S. Boiseau. 1782. Porcelain, biscuit, cobalt, gilding. GMZ "Pavlovsk"

O. V. Khavanova. Pavel Petrovich's stay in Vienna in 1781-1782: the "smart" journey of the enlightened crown prince

The German historian N. Konrads calculated that between 1577, when the Austrian Archduke Matthias set off under the guise of a servant, and 1982, when Empress Zita was able to visit the Republic of Austria under the name of the Duchess of Bar, in European history 41 the sovereign traveled incognito, that is, under an assumed name. Russia is represented in the list only by Tsar Peter Alekseevich (1682–1725), who discovered Europe for himself as Peter Mikhailov. The author himself admits that the list is far from complete. Indeed, there is no mention not only of the short stay of the Swedish King Gustav III (1771-1792) under the name of Count Gotland at the St. Petersburg court, but also of the very long journey through Europe of the Count and Countess of the North ( von Norden), behind which Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich (1754–1801) and his wife Maria Fedorovna (1759–1828) were hiding.

This voyage was the first long and intense journey of members of the Russian ruling house abroad since the time of the "Great Embassy". The count and countess of the North set off on September 19 (30), 1781 and returned to St. Petersburg only at the end of 1782. Having visited Poland, they set foot on the lands subject to the Austrian house in the newly acquired Galicia, drove through Moravia, where they were met in Troppau Joseph II (1780-1790), together with him went to Vienna, where they celebrated Christmas and New Year. Further, their path lay through Lower Austria, Carinthia and the Austrian Littoral with Trieste, which was then rapidly rebuilding, to Venice, Tuscany, which belonged to the Habsburgs, then to Rome and Naples. Having surveyed the beauties of Italy, the couple visited the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium), spent several weeks in Paris and set off on their way back, so that in September 1782 they would stop again for a short time in Vienna, and then, in a well-known way, hurry to St. Petersburg. Throughout the journey, at the special insistence of the Vienna court, the count and countess carefully avoided only one European capital - Berlin, where the sworn enemy of the Habsburgs - Frederick II (1740-1786) ruled.

The diplomatic side of this return, in fact, visit to the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, who visited Russia earlier that year, is described, for example, in the monograph by M. A. Petrova. It also talks in detail about the important background of the trip - the meeting of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna in Vienna with her parents - the Dukes of Württemberg. They also traveled incognito, like Count and Countess Gröningen, accompanied by their son and youngest daughter Elizabeth (1767–1790), whom Joseph, in order to strengthen the connection between Vienna and St. Meanwhile, the trip had a rich, thoughtful and very diverse cultural and educational program, which is rarely remembered by modern researchers. This shortcoming is partly compensated by this article.

The presence of Pavel Petrovich in Vienna is documented in sources of various origins: the dispatches of the ambassador, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn (1721–1793) from Vienna, the communications of Count Johann Ludwig Joseph Cobenzel (1753–1809) from St. Petersburg and his correspondence with Emperor Joseph II, in letters Empress Catherine II to the Austrian Emperor, son and daughter-in-law, in the newspaper " Wiener Zeitung”, finally, in the acts and accounts of the Vienna Court Treasury. From them, on the one hand, a picture is created of what the ceremonial and the content of the cultural and orientation program were like for members of the ruling houses who are visiting the Austrian capital. On the other hand, it is possible to recreate the interests and preferences of the royal guests themselves, as well as to trace the influence that the voyage had on their tastes and range of interests. Unfortunately, perhaps the most valuable source - travel diaries, which the grand ducal couple kept pedantically every day, according to scientists, have not been preserved. Just as their letters to the Empress have not been preserved.

Historiography has long described in detail what intrigues were woven around the upcoming voyage. However, scientists do not have an unambiguous answer whether the Tsarevich really wanted to embark on wanderings in order to spiritually mature, to see the achievements with his own eyes. European civilization, make acquaintances with friendly European courts. Perhaps he submitted to the will of his mother, who in this way intended to strengthen the rapprochement with Austria and keep her son away from the main supporter of the orientation towards Prussia - the actual Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikita Ivanovich Panin (1718-1783). Whatever the true state of affairs, the Austrian side was sure that the intentions of the Russian autocrat included the longest possible absence of her son in the capital. In August 1782, on the eve of the second visit of the Grand Ducal couple to Vienna, Cobenzel wrote to State Chancellor Wenzel Anton Kaunitz (1711–1794): us royal travelers and their return home will be delayed as much as possible.

At first, Pavel hoped that he would have the opportunity to visit Berlin in order to personally testify his respect to Frederick II, whom he had personally known since 1776. At one time, Maria Feodorovna only strengthened him in this desire: after all, her brothers served at the Prussian court. Cobenzel's reports at the end of summer - beginning of September speak of the concern that the Viennese court showed in connection with possible changes route. Behind all the intrigues was the tutor of the Tsarevich, Count Panin. The British ambassador James Harris (1746-1820) also shared terrible suspicions: “As long as Count Panin remained here, the mood and disposition of their imperial highnesses were subject to constant changes. Whenever a courier from Vienna brought them letters from the emperor, they were on the side of Austria and delighted in the thought of their journey; but after meeting with Count Panin, who taught them the rules prescribed to him from Potsdam, their feelings changed, they hardly spoke with Count Cobenzel, and seemed extremely sorry that they had to leave Petersburg. On the departure of Count Panin, the spectacle changed.

Pavel Petrovich set off on a distant, unprecedentedly long journey on the eve of his twenty-seventh birthday, his wife was in her twenty-second year. The young mother was terrified of separation from her sons, especially since they had recently been inoculated with smallpox, and the usual malaise in such cases caused a delay in departure. About the touching parting scene, Cobenzel wrote: “They gathered all their servants, who did not have the grace to accompany them, turned to them with the most cordial expressions and asked for forgiveness for involuntary insults. When their Imperial Highnesses parted with the Empress and children, the Grand Duchess fell unconscious three times, so that she had to be carried to the carriage in a fainting state. The moment of departure was a very touching picture. Those gathered did not hold back their tears, and the people crowding around, who were clearly dissatisfied with the departure and the long absence of the crown prince, grumbled loudly to the empress's considerable displeasure.

The Austrian side began preparing to receive guests several months in advance. At the end of July 1781, when he was at Versailles, the Emperor, through Chancellor Heinrich Blumegen (1715–1788), ordered the governor of Galicia, Count Joseph Brigido (1733–1817), to take all necessary measures. There were many of those. It was necessary to calculate on which days, through which postal stations the route would run, and to keep a sufficient number of horses there. It was necessary to check the condition of roads and bridges in advance, stock up straw and fascines in places where the roads are washed out or broken (to patch up puddles with them or smooth out potholes immediately before the distinguished guests pass). The fact was also taken into account that when travelers enter Moravia, where the quality of roads is incomparably better than in Galicia, the speed of movement will increase. In the middle of each day of the journey, a stop was provided for lunch. The best of the castles, episcopal residences, monastic courtyards or palaces on the balance of the imperial treasury should have been chosen as lodging for the night. Since the distinguished guests were traveling incognito, they expressed their desire to pay for their own meals. The owners were supposed to take care of a sufficient amount of "meat, wine, beer, bread and game." Their feasts were not supposed to attract attention anywhere, illuminations, fireworks and the erection of triumphal arches were prohibited along the entire route. Only masquerade balls (redoubts) were allowed, where the best citizens of all classes would be admitted with free tickets, as well as tireless performances and chamber concerts.

In Brody, the guests were met by the chamberlain Count Johann Rudolf Chotek (1748–1824), assigned to them, who then accompanied them along with his wife throughout the journey through the Austrian possessions, right up to Venice itself. Wanting to make a pleasant surprise and thereby show a sign of special attention, Joseph II personally went to meet them in Troppau. The host and guests almost never parted: in the evening they honored the presence of performances and balls organized in their honor, during the day they moved in the same carriage. On November 21, according to the new style, in the afternoon, the Russian guests entered Vienna. A touching meeting between Maria Feodorovna and her parents, sister and brother took place in the Augarten Imperial Palace.

Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova (1743/1744-1810) called such trips abroad for educational purposes "smart" travel. From the first days of their stay in the Austrian capital, the Russian guests did not have a single free minute. Receptions at the court alternated with city tours. Having barely rested from the balls and masquerades that continued all night, they went to libraries, art galleries, and manufacturing enterprises. After spending the evening at the opera, the count and countess of the North went to visit one of the nobles, and in the morning they again hurried to the university, library, art gallery. The Grand Duchess everywhere, with the exception of hunting, military maneuvers and inspection of the barracks, followed her husband, listening carefully and remembering everything they were told in hospitals, hospices, orphanages. Did the Tsarevich remember in those days the words that a couple of years ago he dropped in a conversation with the imperial ambassador Joseph Klemens Kaunitz (1743-1785) about the stay of Count Gotland in St. Petersburg? The diplomat then wrote to Vienna: “The Grand Duke will never understand how one can find pleasure in staying up all night and lying in bed all morning.”

Subsequently, when the stay of the Grand Ducal couple in Vienna comes to an end, Joseph II, in a letter to his brother Leopold (1747–1792), the Grand Duke of Tuscany, will give advice: “It would be desirable to arrange everything so that they would not be forced to leave earlier than 9 or 10 o’clock in the morning, and especially so that they can retire to their homes by 10 or 11 o’clock in the evening, since they devote a significant part of the morning and even evening to classes and correspondence. And further: “All objects that are really remarkable in their antiquity, rarity, size or magnificence of the structure occupy them extremely, therefore, their attention should not be tired by reviewing several objects in one day, but, on the contrary, they should be given the opportunity to examine in detail everything curious and wonderful » . However, while Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fyodorovna were visiting Vienna, their hospitable host himself seemed to do everything not to follow his own advice. The days of the Count and Countess of the North were scheduled by the hour. They went to bed late, and in the morning they hurried to the bureau to write down their thoughts and impressions in a diary.

From the first minutes of their stay on the territory of the Austrian monarchy, Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna led the life of “real tourists”. They did not have time to cross the border, as they immediately went to inspect the famous, developed from the XIII century. salt mines. Having learned about this from letters, Catherine II remarked approvingly: “The description of your visit to the salt mines in Wieliczka is truly interesting. No wonder you get tired going down and especially going up a thousand steps. Having done this, however, you can boast that you have seen the thing so far the only one in this part. the globe» . Already in Vienna, the Tsarevich, who was not distinguished by good health, on November 28 climbed the bell tower of the Cathedral of St. Stephen and descended on a special elevator to the crypt of the Capuchin Church, where members of the Habsburg family are buried. On December 1, he climbed the fortress walls, on December 10 he walked along the Prater, the first public park in Austria, opened in 1766. However, in the first place was acquaintance with the Viennese court. For the convenience of communication, the grand ducal couple settled in one of the wings of the Hofburg - Amalienhof. The Russian ambassador D. M. Golitsyn reported to the Empress: “The chambers prepared in this palace [...] are so majestically […] cleaned that these days, not only local residents of any rank, but also ministers foreign, and noble persons of both sexes".

The next day, upon their arrival, the count and countess had to endure a rather tedious acquaintance with court society that stretched for several hours. Joseph II and Prince Golitsyn succeeded each other, introducing them to the Imperial Highnesses "the most distinguished persons of both sexes, as well as others from the local nobility and foreign ministers." On November 25, according to the new style, a magnificent masquerade ball was given in Schönbrunn. Its brilliance and sparkle can be imagined if we recall the third act of the ballet "Swan Lake" by P. I. Tchaikovsky, where Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, Neapolitan and Polish dances replace each other. In Schonbrunn, the young courtiers learned three country dances specially in honor of the grand ducal couple, which they presented in Italian, Hungarian and Tatar costumes, and completed the action with the Matlot dance of the Dutch sailors. The Earl and Countess of the North left the celebration at 2 o'clock in the morning, while the guests had fun until 8 o'clock in the morning. Apparently, the reviews of the reception given to him were the most flattering, because Catherine II, in a hurry to consolidate her success, wrote to the children in a response letter: “The joy shown to you by the Vienna public confirms me in the opinion that I have always had about her, namely that the Austrian people love Russians.

Before leaving the Austrian capital, Russian guests had to participate in such amusements more than once, not to mention the fact that eight to ten high-born guests dined in their chambers almost every day. From time to time, their Imperial Highnesses visited the homes of the first aristocrats of the monarchy. They twice, on December 16 and 30, were in the palace of the Dowager Princess of Liechtenstein (in all likelihood, we are talking about Maria Leopoldina (1733–1809)), repeatedly visited the State Chancellor Kaunitz, on December 15 they honored the visit of the chief chamberlain of the 84-year-old Count Heinrich Auersperga (1697–1783), December 21 - Maria Theresa Kolovrat (1741–1805), daughter of the late Chief Chamberlain Prince Johann Joseph Kevenhüller (1706–1776) and wife of the President of the Court Treasury Chamber Count Leopold Kolovrat (1727–1809), December 23 - President of the Court Military Council Count Andreas (Andras) Hadik (1710-1790). On December 28, they visited D. M. Golitsyn, who bought himself a plot of land in the town of Dornbach and built an imposing villa there. The picture will not be complete without mentioning participation in such aristocratic leisure activities as hunting. Subsequently, the Grand Duke of Tuscany wrote to his elder brother that he was amazed at the awareness of the Russian guests, who surprised him with their “information about Vienna, about all civil and military ranks, about family relationships, about individuals and so on. .

The most important aspect of the visit was acquaintance with the experience of organizing military affairs. Later, the Austrian emperor would write to his brother in Tuscany: "Military and naval affairs, of course, are one of their favorite subjects of occupation, as well as trade, industry and manufactories." Count Severny examined the capital's arsenal, the barracks of a cavalry regiment, visited the Engineering Academy, a military hospital and, no less important, a veterinary hospital. (In the 18th century, veterinary medicine was not the last thing serving the needs of the army). On December 11, together with Joseph II, he went to Simmering for military maneuvers, on December 27 he went to Klosterneuburg, where the pontoons built a bridge over the Danube in front of distinguished guests. Joseph did not fail to show his guests the achievements of the capital's manufactories: December 3 - porcelain and December 29 - sewer (production of gold threads). On the way to Italy, the grand ducal couple, due to Maria Feodorovna's ailment, was forced to stay longer than planned in Wienerneustadt, where the main military Academy monarchy. Wasting no time, the Tsarevich free time spent in classrooms watching how and what future Austrian officers are taught.

An equally important aspect of the visit was the study of the system government controlled– an area in which the Russian bureaucracy had a lot to learn from its Austrian colleagues. On one of the first days, the emperor invited the future Russian autocrat to his office. Later, Catherine II wrote to Joseph: “Count Severny is proud of the trust that your imperial majesty deigned to help him by introducing him into your office, introducing you to the distribution of your papers in it and talking with him about the affairs of state government. On December 15, the Count and Countess of the North, accompanied by their Württemberg relatives, visited the Hungarian Royal Chancellery. The entire staff of the department, headed by Chancellor Count Franz (Ferenz) Esterhazy (1715–1785), lined up on the main staircase to meet distinguished guests. They were solemnly greeted in the meeting room, then taken to the “offices”, told about the principles of record keeping, showed volumes of protocols and registration books. According to the same scheme, on December 21, visits were made to the Czech-Austrian Court Office, the Court Treasury, the Mint and the Berg Collegium.

It is difficult to overestimate the impact that acquaintance with the state of science and education had on the grand ducal couple. Pavel Petrovich turned out to be an attentive, thoughtful and inquisitive listener and interlocutor. He made ceremonial visits to the court library and the privileged noble Teresian Academy, where new generations of statesmen, including future diplomats, were trained. On November 30, Pavel Petrovich found time to visit the normal school of Ignaz Felbiger (1724-1788), whose so-called Sagan method of teaching reading, writing and counting made it possible to spread literacy to the poorest sections of the population. In a couple of years, a follower of the teacher-reformer Fyodor Yankovich (1740/1741–1814) will come to Russia, having previously successfully improved the system primary education for the Orthodox Serbs of the Kingdom of Hungary. Finally, on December 22, the Tsarevich got acquainted with the school for the deaf and dumb. This news interested Catherine II, who, upon the return of her son, wanted to know for sure how Viennese teachers succeed (the empress heard that in the Paris school for the deaf and dumb, the unfortunate were mercilessly tortured).

Joseph II inherited from his father, Franz of Lorraine (1708–1765), a love of natural and exact sciences. On December 8, he led the guests to the natural science and physics and mathematics rooms of the Hofburg, where they were shown “typewriters”, which, in front of the guests, printed short phrases in Latin and French. On December 15, the heir to the Russian throne spent several hours at the University of Vienna, where he had an interesting conversation with the court astronomer Maximilian Hell (1720–1792), who had recently made an expedition to Lapland, about the language spoken by the Lapps. The Grand Duke climbed to the top of the tower where the university observatory was located, and only heavy clouds prevented him from enjoying the view of the starry sky over Vienna. In continuation of the visit to the university, the guests toured the museum of anatomy and the anatomical theater. On December 20, the Tsarevich was shown the court printing house of Johann Thomas Trattner (1717–1798). On January 1, the Count of the North met the physician, Dutch physicist and chemist Jan Ingenhaus (1730–1799), who told the Tsarevich about his experiments on plants.

The hosts really wanted to impress the guests with something unusual. Back in October 1781, Wolfgang Kempelen (1734–1804), an adviser to the Hungarian Treasury, and an inventor in his spare time, was asked if it would be difficult for him to demonstrate his famous chess machine to high Russian guests. The miracle of technology was a box, behind which sat the figure of a Turk who moved the pieces. Only years later will it be discovered that the cunning engineer had previously put an experienced chess player in the box. The visit to the Kempelen house took place on 17 December. Newspaper " Wiener Zeitung” did not report whether the game was played, and who came out the winner.

Particular attention was paid to charitable and charitable institutions: on December 5, the guests toured a hospital for the poor, a hospice, a home for the disabled, and an orphanage. On December 22, the grand ducal couple was introduced to the principles of the work of the widow's fund of court singers. It was in that year that Joseph was the first in Europe to introduce the universal principle of assigning pensions to the subjects of his empire. However, earlier institutions of social protection, including widow's funds, continued to exist and provide a small increase to a modest pension. Undoubtedly, Maria Feodorovna, who devotedly devoted herself to charity all her life, listened attentively and adopted a new experience for her.

Finally, there was not a week that Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna did not come into contact with art. As soon as they arrived in Vienna, they examined the rich collection of art objects in the Belvedere (the Grand Duchess visited there at least twice), then followed on December 15 - Academy of Fine Arts, December 23 - Academy of Music. On December 26, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) played a small concert for selected guests in the chambers of the Grand Duchess, for which he received a casket studded with diamonds from the hands of the enthusiastic Maria Feodorovna. Every third day the Austrian emperor and his Russian guests visited the theater. The Grand Duchess was introduced to the aged composer Pietro Metastasio (1698-1783), and Pavel Petrovich fulfilled his old dream - he met the great Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787). The guests listened to his opera Orpheus and Alceste at least five times. According to the memoirs of Countess Hotek, one evening, Pavel Petrovich and Emperor Joseph, during a joint evening meal, “amateurs sang” one of the arias.

In the first week of January, the six-week "Vienna Marathon" came to an end. It was not easy to endure it: rumors did not subside in St. Petersburg that Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna were ready, at the end of the second week of their stay in Vienna, to move on. Catherine constantly reminded in her letters that they were received very well, and the expenses made for their reception were enormous, so neither the owner nor the Viennese public should have been upset by the sudden departure. Several days passed, and she again asked: “You don’t say a word to me about this, how long will you stay in Vienna? Will you be there when this letter arrives, or will you leave the city by then and go somewhere. I do not hide from you that all kinds of rumors are circulating about all this in the city. A few more weeks later, the empress encouraged the children: “The satisfaction with your stay in Vienna, which you continue to express to me, the kindness and courtesy with which your master showers you, the useful that you see and the acquaintances you make, would be able to convince me if I was not yet convinced that it was not entirely bad to travel a little around the world.

The benevolent tone of the letters should not mislead anyone. Catherine wanted to be aware of any events, moods and plans, so the correspondence of the grand ducal couple and their retinue was mercilessly censored. The Empress instructed the chief postal director Matvey Matveyevich von Eck (1726-1789) not to ignore a single letter from the Tsarevich and his entourage. In historiography, the investigation into the case of the adjutant wing of the Empress Pavel Alexandrovich Bibikov (1764–1784) is widely known, who imprudently wrote to his friend Alexander Borisovich Kurakin (1752–1818), who accompanied the crown prince on a journey, critical lines about the state of affairs in the state and the army. The unlucky youth was arrested, subjected to strict interrogation, and, in the end, released and exiled to Astrakhan.

Less is known about the tricks that, according to Count Cobenzel, Pavel Petrovich and Count Panin, who remained in St. Petersburg, resorted to in order to exchange confidential messages. One of the informants of the Austrian ambassador said: to begin with, one of the servants traveling with the grand ducal couple wrote a letter to the same simple person and put in it a letter from another servant to the same commoner addressee, and so six times. Only the seventh letter in this epistolary nesting doll turned out to be a message from the Tsarevich to his former mentor. But, despite all the tricks, the cherished message was discovered and lay on the table of the Empress. It contained nothing but general information about his good health and assurances of sincere friendship and trust. However, this only reinforced the empress's worst suspicions that it was Panin who dissuaded her son from a European tour.

As for the “costs” of the Vienna court mentioned by Catherine, back in the summer Joseph II informed the president of the Treasury that “the arrival of the Russian Grand Duke and Grand Duchess in Vienna will require unplanned expenses […] therefore I inform you in advance so that you provide the heads of the Czech-Austrian court office and the Court Military Council with a sufficient loan. A summary statement of all expenses could not be found, but the accounts, receipts and receipts preserved in the archive of the Court Treasury Chamber give some idea of the amounts spent. Count Hotek received 500 ducats from the treasury, of which 38 were handed back on receipt at the end of the mission. Chief Chamberlain Count Franz Rosenberg (1723–1796) received a total of 36,000 guilders. (Unfortunately, there is no specification of expenses in the documents.) After the departure of the Russian guests, the Treasury Chamber reimbursed the expenses of the local population (mainly for the confiscated horses) for several more months.

On January 4, the guests left Vienna to go to Italy via Wienerneustadt, Graz and Trieste. A long and tedious journey lay ahead of them. They will return to Vienna in October 1782, having traveled half of Europe. It seemed that nothing else could surprise them in this city: neither the paintings in the Belvedere, nor Gluck's operas at the National Theater. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess hurried to their sons, eager to take a break from the endless series of receptions, balls, visits, pleasure walks.

The most important foreign policy outcome During the stay of the heir to the throne in the Austrian capital, there was news that a few months earlier in St. Petersburg, his mother had concluded a secret defensive alliance with Joseph II. Although how could it be a secret for Pavel if N.I. Panin participated in the signing of the alliance. The Tsarevich did not try to hide that he did not agree with his mother's foreign policy doctrine. Later, Leopold would write to his elder brother about his conversations with the Russian guest: “He did not hide his disapproval […] of any increase in the monarchy, already very extensive and in need of care for its internal affairs. In his opinion, it is worth leaving aside all useless dreams of conquest, which serve only to acquire glory, do not deliver true benefits, but only weaken the state.

During the stay of the grand ducal couple at the Teresian Academy, they were greeted with poems in which Russian-Austrian relations were presented as a chain of fraternal embraces of monarchs: from Peter I with Leopold I to Pavel Petrovich with Joseph II. In conclusion, the hope was expressed that someday Alexander and Constantine would continue friendly communication with their descendants. Austrian emperor. However, as is known, friendly, trusting relations were not established between the Tsarevich and Joseph. In the 19th century, two courts pursuing opposing interests more than once shared mistrust and suspicion.

An unforgettable impression in the minds and hearts of the Russian guests was the unique educational and cultural program prepared for them by their new ally. Maria Fedorovna carefully examined the gardens and greenhouses of palaces and parks, sent back to her homeland to decorate Pavlovsk, dear to her heart, the seeds of rare plants, which the owners willingly gave her. But most importantly, she made valuable observations and adopted the experience of organizing charity - a vocation to which she will remain faithful all her life. Subsequently, E. G. Khilkova (nee Volkonskaya, 1800–1876) wrote in her memoirs: “In relation to charity, the Empress could be called insatiable. She was an enlightened patroness of all classes and a mother to all the unfortunate and indigent. None of the voices that called to her were rejected by her. There is every reason to believe that this was also the merit of the Vienna trip.