Here is a generalissimo. Here is such a Generalissimo Brunswick family in Denmark

The Brunswick family (Brunswick-Mecklenburg-Romanovs) is the traditional name of the family of Anton Ulrich of Brunswick and Anna Leopoldovna. It belonged to the Wolfenbüttel branch of the Brunswick Welf family, one of the most noble and ancient in Europe.

• Father Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (August 17, 1714 - May 4, 1774)
• Mother (at birth Elisabeth Katharina Christina, Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, December 7, 1718 - March 8, 1746)
• son - (August 12, 1740 - July 5, 1764)
• daughter Ekaterina Antonovna Braunschweigskaya (July 4, 1741 - March 29, 1807)
• daughter Elizaveta Antonovna (1743-1782)
• son Pyotr Antonovich (1745-1798),
• son Alexei Antonovich (February 24, 1746 - October 11, 1787)

Kholmogory

Living for years, decades together, under the same roof (the guard did not change for twelve years), these people quarreled, made up, fell in love, denounced each other. Scandals followed one after another: either Anton Ulrich quarreled with Bina (who, unlike the latter, was allowed to go to Kholmogory), then the soldiers were caught stealing, and the officers caught cupids with nurses. The commandant and his subordinates shamelessly drank and mercilessly robbed Anton Ulrich and his relatives, and the always drunk cook prepared some inedible concoction for them. Over the years, the guards forgot about discipline, walked in a disheveled form. Gradually, together with Anton Ulrich, they became decrepit old men, each with his own quirks.

The prince was quiet and meek. Over the years, he grew fat, flabby, and diseases began to overcome him. After the death of his wife (Anna Leopoldovna), he began to live with maids, and it was believed that there were many of his illegitimate children in Kholmogory, who, growing up, became servants of the Braunschweig family. Occasionally, the prince wrote letters to Empress Elizabeth: he thanked for the sent bottles of Hungarian or for some other alms transfer. He was especially poor without coffee, which he needed daily. In his letters to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and then to Peter III, Catherine II, he showed emphatic, even obsequious loyalty, called himself "kneeling insignificance", "insignificant dust and ashes", "unfortunate worm", dealing with "humiliated and unfortunate lines" requests to a royal person. Not once did he ask for release, probably realizing that this was unrealistic. In the autumn of 1761, Anton Ulrich wrote a letter to Empress Elizabeth, asking her “to allow my children to learn to read and write so that they themselves will be able to kneel to Your Imperial Majesty and, together with me until the end of our lives, pray to God for health and well-being Your Majesty and your family ”(The Empress in response, as always, was silent)

After taking the throne, Anton Ulrich addressed her with the same humble request. In August 1762, the new empress responded favorably to the prince’s letter, expressed her participation to him, but did not promise to release him, diplomatically writing: “Your deliverance is connected with some difficulties that your prudence can understand.” She did not promise to help in the training of princes and princesses.

Soon, Catherine II sent General A.I. Bibikov to Kholmogory, who was instructed to compile a report on the situation in the prison and give characteristics to its inhabitants. Bibikov, on behalf of the Empress, invited the prince to leave Russia in order to return him to Germany. But he refused the empress's generous offer.

A Danish diplomat wrote that the prince, "accustomed to his confinement, sick and discouraged, refused the freedom offered to him." This is inaccurate - the prince did not want freedom for himself alone, he wanted to leave with the children. But these conditions did not suit Catherine. The instructions to Bibikov said that “we intend now to release him and release him to his fatherland with decency”, and his children “for the same state reasons, which he, by his own prudence, can understand himself, we cannot release him until then, until the case our statesmen will not be strengthened in the order in which they have now adopted a new position for the well-being of our empire ”...

The Empress was not enthusiastic about Bibikov's report on his trip to Kholmogory, in which he wrote with sympathy and sympathy about princes and princesses who, it turns out, long years captivity did not lose their human appearance, they were brought up, kind-hearted and friendly. And although the empress did not give permission for the training of princes and princesses (this was not part of the empress's plans and, moreover, it would mean that teachers would have to be sent to Kholmogory), they were literate. In 1773, Princess Elizabeth wrote to the Empress with her own hand, in good style and handwriting, albeit with errors, three letters in which she begged the Empress to give them "at least a small release from imprisonment (so!), In which, besides the father, the born are kept."

The alarm was raised: it turns out that the prince's children, despite the absence of teachers, are literate. Panin, who was engaged in this business, was immediately frightened - as if they did not start a correspondence with someone else. The prisoners were confiscated writing materials and conducted an investigation. It turned out that the children were taught to write and read by the father according to the old alphabet, which remained to them from the deceased mother, as well as according to her sacred books, which the children read. It is noteworthy that N. I. Panin and his assistant G. N. Teplov dealt with the affairs of the Kholmogory Commission, as well as the case of Mirovich. As in the time of Elizabeth, the new authorities feared most of all that the princes and princesses would not be kidnapped by some adventurers like Zubarev, and warned the Arkhangelsk governor about the possible appearance of a foreign spy in those places.

Apparently, the appearance of A. I. Bibikov, a humane and kind person, as well as the unusually kind letters of the new empress, aroused some vague hopes in the Braunschweig family, if not for freedom, then at least for easing the prison regime. Therefore, in September 1763, the prince dared to ask the empress for "a little more freedom": to allow children to attend services in the church next to the prison. Catherine refused, as well as his request to give the children "a little more fresh air" (their most years kept in the building)

So Anton Ulrich did not wait for a little freedom, or a little fresh air, or for the affairs of Empress Catherine to take a favorable position for him. By the age of sixty, he became decrepit, began to go blind, and after spending 34 years in prison, he died on May 4, 1776. Dying, he asked to give his children "at least a small liberation." At night, the coffin with his body was secretly carried out by the guards into the courtyard and buried there near the church, without a priest, without a ceremony, like a suicide, a tramp or a drowned man. Did the children accompany him on his last journey? We don't even know that. Most likely, this was not allowed - they were forbidden to leave the house. But it is known that they suffered the death of their father extremely hard and suffered severely from sadness. The following year, 1777, another heavy loss awaited the family - two old women died one after the other - the nurses and nannies of the princes Anna Ivanova and Anna Ilyina. They have long become close family members, native people.

The princes and princesses, after the death of their father, lived in prison for another four years. By 1780, they were already adults for a long time: the deaf Catherine was 39 years old, Elizabeth was 37, Peter was 35 and Alexei was 34 years old. All of them were weak, with obvious physical disabilities, they were sick a lot and for a long time. About the eldest son, Peter, an eyewitness wrote that “he is sick and consumptive, somewhat lopsided and bow-legged. The younger son Alexei is of a dense and healthy build ... has seizures. The prince's daughter Ekaterina "is sickly and almost consumptive, moreover, somewhat deaf, speaks mutely and indistinctly and is always obsessed with various painful attacks, of a very quiet disposition."

But, despite life in captivity, they all grew up to be reasonable, kind and likeable people. All the visitors who came to the prisoners, following Bibikov, noted that they were met kindly, that the prince's family was extremely friendly. As Golovtsyn wrote, “on my first visit from conversations, I could notice that the father loves his children, and the children are respectful to him and there is no disagreement between them.” Like Bibikov, Golovtsyn noted the special intelligence of Princess Elizabeth, who, crying, said that “their only fault was the birth” and that she hoped that, perhaps, the empress would free them and take them to court.

A. P. Melgunov

A.P. Melgunov, Governor-General of the Vologda Governorate, who visited them after the death of Anton Ulrich, wrote about Princess Ekaterina Antonovna that, despite her deafness, “it is clear from her behavior that she is timid, evasive, polite and bashful, of a quiet and cheerful; seeing others in conversations laughing, although he does not know the reason, he makes them company ... "

Melgunov spoke freely with Princess Elizabeth - she was smart and thorough. When the princess spoke to Melgunov about the fact that the family had sent requests to the empress before, “I,” wrote Melgunov, “intentioning to test her mind and disposition of thoughts, considered this case convenient for that and for this I asked her what their petition consisted of. ? She answered me that their first request, when their father was still healthy, and they were very young, was that they be given liberty, but when they did not receive this and their father was blind, and they had left their young years, then this their desire changed to another, that is, they finally asked that they be allowed to drive, but they did not receive an answer to that.

What the princess said and what Melgunov wrote down accurately reflects the situation of the 1760s and 1770s, when Catherine behaved, in general, the same way as Elizaveta Petrovna: silence for all requests. All requests for freedom, or at least for easing the regime, were rejected by her. Catherine believed that all this "may cause trouble." Why did she need them? These people seemed to cease to exist for her. The empress never wrote to them and did not even sympathize when they lost their father. As before, they were strictly guarded both in the house and during walks in the garden. But they began to be better fed, less robbed, and quite often new beautiful things were brought from St. Petersburg. Elizabeth told Melgunov that with the beginning of Catherine's reign, they seemed to have resurrected - "until that time they needed everything, they didn’t even have shoes."

Apparently, the dream of freedom did not leave Princess Elizabeth, and she again bitterly spoke to Melgunov about their unfulfilled desire to "live in a big world", to learn secular treatment. “But in the present situation,” continued Elizaveta Antonovna, “there is nothing more left for us to desire than to live here in solitude, in Kholmogory. We are happy with everything, we were born here, got used to this place and have grown old, so for us big light is not only not needed, but also painful, because we don’t know how to deal with people, and it’s too late to learn.

“As for the brothers,” Melgunov continued his report to the empress, “both of them, according to my note, do not seem to have the slightest natural sharpness in themselves, but their timidity, simplicity, shyness, silence and tricks are more visible, with one small decent guys. However, the smallest of them, Alexei, seems to be more connected, bolder and more cautious than his larger brother Peter. But what lies more, it can be seen from his actions that sheer simplicity dwells in him and the temper of one who is too cheerful because he laughs and laughs when there is nothing funny at all ... They live friendly among themselves, and moreover ... are gentle and philanthropic, and the brethren obey and listen to Elizabeth in everything. Their exercise consists in working in the garden in the summer, going after hens and ducks and feeding them, and in winter they run running on wooden horses along the pond in their garden, they read church books and play cards and checkers, the girls, on the other hand, In addition, they are sometimes engaged in sewing linen.

Elizabeth had several requests, from which Alexei Petrovich Melgunov, a subtle, humane and warm-hearted person, probably turned everything upside down in his soul: “We ask that Her Imperial Majesty grant us that one favor, so that 1) we were allowed to leave the house for the meadows for a walk, we heard that there are flowers there, which are not in our garden ”; the second is that they let the wives of security officers be friends with them - “otherwise we get bored alone!”. The third request: “By the grace of Her Imperial Majesty, cornets, bonnets and currents are sent to us from St. Petersburg, but we do not use them because neither we nor our girls know how to put them on and wear them. So do me a favor ... send such a person who could dress us up in them. The princess also asked that the bath be moved away from the house and raise the salaries of their servants and allow them to leave the house. At the end of this conversation with Melgunov, Elizaveta said that if these requests were fulfilled, “we will be very pleased and will not bother about anything else and do not want anything and are happy to remain in this position forever.”

Melgunov did not tell the princes and princesses that his visit to them was not just an inspection trip. The fact is that Catherine nevertheless decided to send the Braunschweig family abroad - to do something that Elizaveta Petrovna had not done almost forty years before. The Empress began a correspondence with the Danish Queen Julia Margaret, sister of Anton Ulrich and aunt of the Kholmogory captives, and offered to settle them in Norway, then a province of Denmark. The queen replied that she could even place them in Denmark itself. Melgunov was sent to Kholmogory to draw up a report on the basis of which the empress could make a decision.

Catherine II

After reading Melgunov's report, Catherine II gave a decree to prepare the children of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich for departure. Collections have begun. Suddenly, in the modest chambers of the bishop's house, gold, silver, diamonds sparkled - these were the gifts of the empress: a giant silver service, diamond rings for men and earrings for women, unprecedented miraculous powders, lipsticks, shoes, dresses.

Seven German and fifty Russian tailors in Yaroslavl hastily prepared a dress for four prisoners. What are the "fur coats of a golden eye on sable fur" for princesses Ekaterina Antonovna and Elizaveta Antonovna worth! And although the Empress was a purebred German, she acted in Russian - know ours! Let the Danish relatives see how prisoners of royal blood are kept in our country.

On June 26, 1780, Melgunov announced to the Brunswick family the decree of the empress to send them to Denmark, to their aunt. They were shocked. “I can’t imagine,” wrote Ekaterina Melgunov, “here, how much fear, mixed with surprise and joy, they were amazed at these words. None of them could utter a word, but the streams of tears that flowed from their eyes, the frequent kneeling and joy that spilled over their faces clearly revealed their sincere gratitude. They thanked for the freedom, but only asked to settle them in a small town, away from people. It is curious that they all spoke the Kholmogory, “northern dialect”, which at first to the capital's visitors, who knew that they were going to people in whom not only the blood of the Romanovs, but also the blood of the ancient Mecklenburg and Brunswick dukes, seemed strange, unusual.

Frigate "Polar Star"

On the night of June 27, the princes and princesses were taken out of the house. For the first time in their lives, they went outside the prison, boarded a yacht and sailed down the wide, beautiful Dvina, a piece of which they had seen all their lives from the window. When the gloomy fortifications of the Novodvinsk fortress appeared in the dusk of the white Arkhangelsk night, the brothers and sisters began to sob and say goodbye - they thought that they had been deceived and that in fact they were waiting for the loners of the fortress casemates. But they were reassured by pointing to the frigate "Polar Star" standing in the roadstead, preparing to sail.

Until the very end, the Antonoviches were strictly guarded, and Colonel Ziegler, specially appointed to lead the operation, received a strict order not to allow the prisoners to write and send letters, not to allow anyone to see them. “But if someone,” the instructions noted, “beyond expectation, dared to enter the frigate by force and thereby set out to take away the princes and princesses from the hands of Ziegler, in this case he was ordered to repel force by force and defend himself to the last drop of blood.” Fortunately, there was no clause on the murder of captives in the instructions - it is clear that by 1780 Catherine's affairs had taken their "proper position".

One of the most tragic figures in Russian history became the young emperor Ivan Antonovich of Brunswick, who formally occupied the throne from October 17, 1740 to November 25, 1741. He was born on August 12, 1740 in the family of Anna Leopoldovna, the native niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna, and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick and died on July 5, 1764 in the Shliselburg fortress, where he was in custody. John Antonovich became emperor under a ban. He and his family were sacrificed to what is commonly called the well-being of the state, as well as the tranquility of those persons who were in power throughout the life of the unfortunate emperor.
Peter the Great made continuous attempts to bring Russia into the big European politics, not limited only by economic and military means, he began to strengthen the threads political interests states by bonds of dynastic marriages connecting the Romanovs with the houses of foreign rulers from Western Europe. The result of this policy was the marriage of the daughter of his older brother, Ekaterina Ivanovna, and the Duke of Mecklenburg, Karl Leopold, concluded in 1716. The fruit of this marriage was the birth of a girl on December 7/18, 1718 in Rostock, who was baptized according to Lutheran custom and named Elizabeth Catherine Christina. The marriage was unsuccessful, and in the summer of 1722, Ekaterina Ivanovna, at the invitation of her mother Praskovya Fedorovna, came to Russia and never returned to her husband.
In 1730, the childless Anna Ioannovna, the aunt of Elizabeth Catherine Christina, occupied the imperial throne. From now on, they began to look at the little princess as a possible heir to the empress. The princess remained so far in the Lutheran religion and did not officially change her name, but they began to call her Anna. Anna Ioannovna herself did not initially express any definite intentions at the expense of her niece, however, in 1731 she confirmed the right of the monarch declared by Peter I to appoint the heir to the throne of his own free will.

I. G. VEDEKIND. Portrait of Anna Leopoldovna

Later, the project of Vice-Chancellor Andrei Ivanovich Osterman and Ober-Stalmeister Carl Gustav Levenwolde arose, according to which Anna should have been married off to one of the foreign princes, and her child, at the choice of the empress and regardless of the birthright, would inherit the throne. So Levenwolde was sent to Germany to find an acceptable candidate for the groom. He completed the mission and chose two candidates - Prince Karl of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Bevernsky. Anna Ioannovna decided to opt for the second choice and invite Anton Ulrich to be appointed colonel of the cuirassier regiment, having determined his financial allowance.

I. G. VEDEKIND. Portrait of Anton-Ulrich (?)

Anton Ulrich was born on August 28, 1714 in the family of the Duke of Brunswick-Bevern Ferdinand Albrecht II and his wife Antoinette Amalia. He was the second son, the family's funds were small, so a trip to Russia and the opportunity to marry the Empress's niece were perceived as a smile of Fortune. The official reason for the trip was admission to the Russian military service. The prince arrived in St. Petersburg on February 3/14, 1733. For residence, Anton Ulrich was prepared located near the royal palace of Chernyshev. The Empress, Duchess of Mecklenburg Ekaterina Ivanovna and even Elizabeth Ekaterina Khristina herself received him quite favorably. The prince studied the Russian language and other sciences he needed, one of his teachers is the poet Trediakovsky. Soon he converted to Orthodoxy. But the matter of marriage for various reasons did not go well. And the prospective bride herself did not have tender feelings for Anton Ulrich and in 1735 was carried away by the Saxon envoy Count Moritz Linar. In order to avoid a major scandal, the empress expelled from Russia the tutor of the princess, Madame d'Adercas, who patronized this hobby. Linar was also recalled from Petersburg.
In 1737, the prince went on his first military campaign against the Turks as a simple volunteer under the command of Field Marshal Munnich. In his report on the capture of Ochakov, Minich wrote that Anton Ulrich showed extraordinary courage and was in the very center of the battle. After that, the prince gained a reputation as a fearless warrior. In 1738, the Empress granted him the highest order of the empire - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and he was also promoted to prime major of the Semenovsky Guards Regiment. In the same year, the prince went on a new campaign, and the famous Karl Hieronymus von Munchausen rode in his retinue. The prince again participated in the battles, and in the battle near the Biloch River, his regiments covered the right flank of the Russian artillery, which did not have time to take up a combat position.
However, Princess Anna remained cold to Anton Ulrich, and the matter of marriage did not go well. The impetus for the denouement was given by an attempt by Empress Biron's favorite to marry Anna to his eldest son Peter, who, moreover, was younger than her.

Insulted by the refusal of the princess, Biron convinced Anna Ioannovna to finally resolve the matter with the marriage of Anton Ulrich. Preparations for the wedding have begun. On July 2, 1739, the engagement took place in the Great Hall of the Winter Palace. The next day, the wedding ceremony took place in the Kazan Church. The festivities continued for a week, all days and evenings of which were filled with banquets, fireworks, illuminations, balls, masquerades.
Anna Leopoldovna was not immediately able to get pregnant, which caused discontent of the Empress, kindled by Biron. For some time, everyone's attention switched to the Holstein Prince Karl Peter, the grandson of Peter I, the son of his daughter Anna. However, on August 12, 1740, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to such a long-awaited son, named after his great-grandfather Ivan.
At the same time, more and more rumors appeared about the discord between the young spouses, as well as about the serious illness of the empress. Anna Ioannovna immediately published a manifesto in which she named John Antonovich as the heir to the throne, and, in the event of his death, any other senior prince born in the family of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich. This manifesto played a tragic role in the fate of other children in the Brunswick family, making them rivals of those who occupied the throne. Almost at the bedside of the dying empress, a struggle broke out over the regency under the infant emperor. Anton Ulrich was also named among the possible candidates, but the empress decided the case in favor of her favorite Biron.
The regent gave Anton Ulrich and Anna Leopoldovna a salary of 200,000 rubles a year, but the prince of Brunswick himself wanted to be the ruler with his son. Biron heard rumors about a conspiracy, the leader of which could be the father of John Antonovich. A conversation took place between Biron and the prince and princess, during which the regent threatened to expel the entire family from Russia, and Anna Leopoldovna was forced to beg forgiveness for herself and her husband. The matter did not come to expulsion, but all those close to the prince were arrested, Anton Ulrich himself was summoned to explain before a convened meeting of senators, cabinet ministers and generals, and Ushakov led the interrogation, where the prince confessed in an attempt to remove Biron, and was also forced to refuse all military officials.

Portrait of Anton-Ulrich (?) by an unknown artist

However, Biron was removed, and this was done by Field Marshal Count Buchard-Christopher Munnich, his longtime opponent. The coup took place on the night of November 7-8, 1740, the regent and his entire family were sent into exile in Pelym. Anna Leopoldovna was proclaimed ruler under the young emperor, and Anton Ulrich received the rank of Generalissimo of the Russian army. All persons who contributed and sympathized with the coup were generously rewarded.
The reign of Anna Leopoldovna cannot be called successful. Quarrels and strife broke out between the rival courtiers from the very first days. There was practically no concern for the little emperor, although all decrees were issued on his behalf. Minich was not satisfied and sought to concentrate all power in his hands.
There was no agreement between the spouses, especially since soon Linar again arrived at the court, and Anna Leopoldovna was going to marry him to her beloved maid of honor Juliana Mengden in order to forever bind him to the Russian court. On April 14, 1741, Minich was resigned, and the affairs of the empire passed to Osterman, since the ruler herself was not interested in them. Her close and permanent entourage was made up of people who were dear to her, but absolutely useless in matters of government: Juliana Mengden, Minister of the Vienna Court Botta d’Adorno, Chief Chamberlain Ernst Minich, Field Marshal’s son, Linar. After a few months of ruling, Anna Leopoldovna practically stepped aside from state affairs, limiting herself to imposing a resolution on the documents submitted to her.

Portrait of Juliana Mengden with Ivan Antonovich in her arms Unknown artist

Anton Ulrich was more active. He attended meetings of the military board, made proposals for discussion in the Senate, personally selected soldiers and officers. For the first time, regimental hospitals were created in the guards regiments. He inspected the construction of new barracks, increased his political experience by daily long conversations with Osterman. But he did not have real power, primarily because there was no warm relationship between him and his wife, the ruler.
Thus, Anna Leopoldovna was unable to foresee the dangers from the side of Tsarina Elizaveta Petrovna, who, with the help of the French envoy Chétardie, managed to plot, leading it herself. On the night of November 24-25, 1741, the reign of the infant Emperor John III, as they called him at that time, counting from Ivan the Terrible, was overthrown.
The further fate of the Braunschweig family is tragic. At first, it was decided to expel the young emperor, his parents and little sister Catherine from Russia. The carriages with the Braunschweig family set off on the road, but a new order from the empress followed, according to which they should be kept in custody in Riga. At the end of 1742, the royal prisoners were transferred to Ranenburg, where they were kept until 1744, when, by order of Elizabeth, John Antonovich was separated from his parents. However, both the former emperor and his family were kept in Kholmogory at different ends of the vast bishop's house. From now on, Emperor John began to be called Gregory.
Anna Leopoldovna died in Kholmogory in 1746, never knowing anything about the fate of her eldest son. She left four more children in the care of her husband: Catherine, Elizabeth, Alexei and Peter. The body of the former ruler of Russia was transported to St. Petersburg and buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

L. Caravacc. Portrait of Anna Leopoldovna

After the death of his mother, John Antonovich stayed in Kholmogory for another 6 years, after which he was transferred to Shlisselburg. Here, on the night of July 4-5, 1764, he was killed by his guards in order to prevent the so-called Mirovich plot from being carried out. The body of the unfortunate prisoner was lost ...
The remaining members of the Braunschweig family continued to be kept in Kholmogory, deprived of the opportunity to communicate with outside world. Some time after the Shlisselburg disaster, Empress Catherine intended to release Prince Anton Ulrich and send him to Germany, considering him not dangerous, but he refused freedom for the sake of his children. In 1776 he went blind and died, and his children remained imprisoned until 1780, when Catherine decided to grant them freedom. This news frightened rather than delighted the prisoners, who had spent their entire lives within the walls of the Bishop's house. However, on the ship "Polar Star" they were delivered to the city of Bergen, from where they were transported on the Danish ship "Mars" to the city of Gorzens, in Jutland, in Danish possessions. Here they lived quietly and calmly. Elizabeth died in 1782, Alexei died in 1787, Peter died in 1798, and Catherine died in 1807.

None of them left offspring. They were buried in the Lutheran church in Gorzens, their tombs have survived to this day, unlike the graves of their father and elder crowned brother.

According to materials:
1. Librovich S.F. Emperor under ban: Twenty-four years of Russian history. M. 2001
2. Levin L. Russian Generalissimo Duke Anton Ulrich (history of the "Brunswick family in Russia"). SPb., 2000

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, when she ascended the throne, ordered the court to forget forever what happened in Russia from October 1740 to November 1741. It was during this period that the reign of the smallest ruler, the one-year-old Ivan VI, fit in. Of course, he did not rule by himself: the lover of the previous empress, Biron, and then the biological mother of the boy, Anna Leopoldovna, was the regent. Meanwhile, the threat of going to a monastery and never becoming a ruler grew stronger and stronger over the daughter of Peter the Great.

Child on the throne

Empress Anna Ioannovna felt in 1740 that she did not have long to live. She categorically did not want to transfer the throne to the children of Peter I. One of the reasons for this was that in this case the fate of her beloved Ernst Biron was in jeopardy.

Anna Ioannovna made a will, according to which, after her death, the throne will pass to the son of her niece, Anna Leopoldovna. Everything would be fine, only the latter, together with her husband, Anton Ulrich, had no sons. The miracle happened just a couple of weeks before the death of Anna Ioannovna. The long-awaited boy was finally born, he was given the throne. A retinue settled on the Russian throne, which was poorly familiar with the orders that reigned in this country.

Empress Anna Ioannovna and Ernst Biron. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

Overthrow of Biron and coup

It is difficult to talk about any reforms during this period. The fact is that the rulers could not figure it out among themselves - so to whom this throne would belong. Biron, who was appointed regent for the baby, openly said that he would take the child away from the biological parents, and at best send them to their homeland, to Germany.

Of course, this option did not suit them. Less than a month after the beginning of his reign, Anna Leopoldovna turned to Field Marshal Burchard Münnich with a request to eliminate the problem. Considering that Biron was treated very poorly in Russia by both the military and industrialists, the coup was not a big problem. They didn't kill him. So the lover of Anna Ioannovna ended up in exile in Pelym, from where he was returned only in 1762. Meanwhile, Anna Leopoldovna became regent, and her husband and father of John VI became the generalissimo of the Russian troops.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and Anna Leopoldovna with their son John VI. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

On November 25, 1741, the coup d'état, as a result of which the throne was taken by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Anna Leopoldovna begged for two things: so that the soldiers would not commit violence against them and leave them alive, and also asked, regardless of the place where they were sent now, to leave a maid of honor nearby.

Poor child, you are innocent, but your parents are guilty, ”Elizabeth allegedly said, taking the little ruler in her arms and promising to leave the family alive.

Anton Ulrich, right in the sheet, was carried out of the palace by the military and pushed into the carriage. It was more of a political moment - well, how to give orders if the whole guard will laugh at your appearance.

The rest were ordered to quickly pack up, giving everything about everything no more than an hour. In a hurry, they dropped the emperor's four-month-old sister Catherine to the floor. The child was miraculously uninjured.

The coup for the whole court, and for the whole country, was justified as follows: due to external and internal unrest, the Life Guards asked Petrova's daughter to take the throne. Elizabeth hastily destroyed everything connected with the little emperor - they burned documents signed on his behalf, handed over the money for melting down, and completely destroyed the sworn signature lists publicly.

"Maybe they'll let go"

Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

Initially, Elizaveta Petrovna planned to let the now former imperial family go home. They were even sent to Riga, planning to quickly take them to Mitava under the escort of General-in-Chief Vasily Saltykov, and then release them.

Only the options for how they would be transported differed: either under cover of night, passing through all possible cities at the highest possible speed and stopping in the fields, or they would arrange everything so that the renunciation was "of their own free will." In the latter case, the family had to stop in almost every village and say goodbye for a long time. And Elizabeth, meanwhile, could have time to decide on the future fate of the family.

Ivashkin's disservice

As early as 1742, a conspiracy of Ensign of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Pyotr Ivashkin was uncovered in St. Petersburg. He wanted to kill Elizaveta Petrovna, and put back on the throne the then one-year-old boy.

Ivashkin even gathered 500 like-minded people and developed a detailed plan: who would delay the guards of the Winter Palace, how they would remove Elizabeth and who would kill her.

The real emperor is John Antonovich, and Elizabeth was made an heiress for a cup of wine, he said. The further fate of the conspirator is sad.

Another conspiracy took place in July 1743. The Lopukhins, who were relatives of the first wife of Peter I, also discussed in correspondence that Elizabeth rules illegally. Yes, and she does not behave like an empress - balls, assemblies, dresses instead of politics. The case was revealed when the drunken Ivan Lopukhin began to talk about it in public.

Elizabeth decided that such conspiracies would be constant and there were risks that one day Ivan Antonovich would still be put on the throne. And abroad, the Ulrich family may well count on support, so it was decided not to let them into Mitava.

Fortress

Peter III visits John VI in the Shlisselburg fortress. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

In December 1742, the family was imprisoned in the Dunamünde fortress, which is on the territory of modern Riga. Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, they began to decide how and where to plant the family somewhere in the Russian wilderness, so that it would not be possible to steal them and transport them abroad.

In 1744, they were sent to Ryazan, and the parents and their youngest daughter got there in one carriage, and the deposed emperor in another. So six months passed. In August 1744, the boy was separated from his parents and sent to the Solovetsky Monastery. From now on, it was forbidden to call him Ivan - only George. For his stay, the bishop's house was equipped as a prison.

It was forbidden to talk with the once emperor, which the guards immediately violated. The boy who was in solitary confinement learned, for example, to read. One day, one of the guards even blabbed out who the child really was.

In the early 1750s, the child contracted both smallpox and measles. There was practically no doubt about his death, the commandant asked for permission to invite a doctor in order to alleviate the boy's suffering. But a refusal followed, signed by the Empress.

Last resort

John VI. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

The child miraculously survived and recovered. Although historians do not exclude that the guards decided not to risk their health and called a doctor.

Opened in 1756 new conspiracy: the Tobolsk merchant Ivan Zubarev wanted to kidnap the boy, and also convey to his father the information that Prussian warships would approach Kholmogory under the guise of merchants and beat off the family.

The idea belonged to the cousin of the former Generalissimo Ferdinand of Brunswick. When the plot was uncovered, the former ruler, who by that time was 15 years old, was transferred to Shlisselburg.

The teenager was settled in a separate house, under guard. Who exactly is being held, or even the name, was not disclosed to the commandant of the fortress, Ivan Berednikov.

And this is where hell began. Since 1757, the captain of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Ovtsyn began to look after the boy. In his reports, he wrote that the teenager was beaten with sticks and put on a chain for the slightest disobedience.

So seven years passed. Catherine II, as soon as she ascended the throne, issued a decree: at the slightest attempt to free the young man, kill him. This was done on July 16 (according to modern style) in 1764.

Kholmogory

Kholmogory. Anton Ulrich. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, the family of Ivan Antonovich was transferred to a distant Arkhangelsk province, in Kholmogory. His mother, Anna Leopoldovna, according to the official version, died at the age of 27 (1746) from a fever during her fifth childbirth.

Here they left Anton Ulrich, his two daughters and two sons, as well as several servants. For example, the maid of honor of the Empress Bina Mengden, a couple of nurses for children, stayed here. Their house was on the banks of the Dvina. The family was behind a high fence. In the courtyard of the former ruling family there was a pond, a garden, a bathhouse and even a carriage house.

The interior, however, according to historians, was horrifying. Two rooms for prisoners filled with antique furniture. The men lived in one, the women in the other. They were under the strict supervision of the guards at all times. As historian Yevgeny Anisimov writes, the guard of the family did not change for 12 years. Of course, they quarreled, reconciled, fell in love and were at enmity.

No one was surprised at the sight of half-naked drunken guards. When Bina started an affair with a doctor who came to sick children, and then gave birth to a boy from him, she was moved to a separate room, expelling everyone from there.

Anton Ulrich himself alternately lived with maids, as historians point out. The latter eventually gave birth to children - in general, such a large "Swedish" family.

The former generalissimo of the Russian troops tirelessly wrote to Elizaveta Petrovna. He did not ask for release, knowing full well, apparently, that so far this is impossible. In the messages, he called himself "kneeling nonentity", "unfortunate worm" and other epithets, thanked for the "gifts" in the form of wine and coffee. Once he asked permission to teach children to read and write. All letters remained unanswered.

Liberation of princes and princesses

Princess Ekaterina Antonovna and Prince Alexei Antonovich. Collage © L!FE. Photo © Wikimedia Commons

The first letter from the highest persons was sent in 1762 by Catherine. Later, she even suggested that Anton Ulrich leave Kholmogory and go home. But the offer extended only to him, and not to all children. The latter threatened Catherine's power: according to the will of Anna Ioannovna, any of the boys could claim the throne in order of seniority. Like any normal father, Anton Ulrich refused. The ex-generalissimo died in 1774. And Catherine II decided to free the royal family only in 1780, sending them to Denmark, at the request of Anton Ulrich's cousin, Julia Margarita.

They were transported on the frigate "Polar Star". As stated, the prisoners did not look happy: they sobbed excitedly, asking if they could still stay in Russia, and kissed the guards goodbye.

The aunt who petitioned for their release never even visited her relatives. Of course, she sent them subsidies, but it is perhaps difficult to call it mountains of gold.

Once free, the prisoners, each of whom by that time was about 40 years old, died with a difference of several years. So, only the younger sister of Ivan VI, Catherine, survived until the 19th century. In 1803, she sent a letter to the Russian Emperor Alexander I, where she tearfully begged to be given the opportunity to return to Russia. I even agreed to Kholmogory. She explained this by the fact that even the language spoken in Denmark is not fully understood, not to mention the rules. Yes, and she was not used to living differently - well, still, 40 years in prison. But the letter remained unanswered, and the petitioner herself died in 1807.

Anton Ulrich - the second son of Duke Ferdinand-Albrecht of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (until 1735 Brunswick-Bevernsky), brother of the famous Prussian commander Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick; genus. August 28, 1714. When Empress Anna Ioannovna was looking for a groom for her niece, Princess Anna (see Anna Leopoldovna) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, under the influence of the Austrian court, she chose Anton. The latter arrived in Russia at the beginning of June 1733, still a boy. Here he was brought up with Anna in the hope that a strong attachment would be established between young people, which over time would turn into a more necessary feeling. These hopes were not justified. Anna, at first sight, disliked her betrothed, a young man of short stature, effeminate, stammering, but modest, with a soft and supple character.

For four years, the prince was only formally in the army, but in March 1737 he went on his first military campaign. Anton Ulrich was seconded to Field Marshal Munnich, who regularly reported to the Empress about his ward. Minich wrote that the prince diligently studied the art of war, courageously endured the hardships of a camp life, “regardless of any cold and great heat, dust, ashes and long marches, always being on horseback, as an old soldier should be, but he was never in a carriage. And his courage is evidenced by the assault that took place under Ochakov, and he acted as an old and honored general should. During the Ochakov assault, the prince was always next to the field marshal, the horses under both were killed, the adjutant and the prince's page were wounded, the other page was killed. The prince's caftan was shot through. Munnich introduced the prince to the rank of major general. In general, effeminate is visible. :)

In the next 1738, Anton Ulrich takes part in the new campaign of Munnich - beyond the Dniester. This time the prince commanded a combined detachment of three regiments. He is entrusted with separate tactical tasks. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, Anton Ulrich was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and became commander of the Semyonovsky Life Guards Regiment.

During the campaigns, the prince matured, got stronger. He took his military career very seriously, he read a lot of ancient and modern authors on the art of war. Anton-Ulrich, unlike his future wife, tried to become worthy of his new homeland. Of course, Anna Leopoldovna, who had only a patronymic from a non-Russian, who grew up in her mother's towers among dwarfs, jesters and holy fools, the groom seemed boring and somehow ... not a peasant, or something. And that's true: he sits, reads, but where is the celebration of life?

Meanwhile, the health of the Empress began to fail, and the decision to marry the prince and Anna Leopoldovna was made. In July 1739, the wedding and marriage took place. The wife of the British ambassador, who was present at the ceremony, wrote to a friend: “... the prince was wearing a white satin suit embroidered with gold, his own very long blond hair was curled and loose over his shoulders, and I involuntarily thought that he looked like a victim”. In the evening, a ball was given in the palace, illumination flashed on the streets, colored with
“Three great fountains were filled with fire, and from them white and red wine for the people.”

Sadly, as a result, everyone was the victim: the prince, the princess, the little emperor Ivan VI, their son and all their other children.

After the death of the empress, the baby Ivan was proclaimed emperor, and the real power was in the hands of Biron, who, in general, was not a fool at all, but was in no way suitable for the ruler of Russia. Anton-Ulrich was granted the title of Generalissimo as a consolation, and Biron considered that this was more than enough for the emperor's parents. Iron Minich quickly and effectively resolved this dilemma. As V.A. Klyuchevsky, “having had lunch and kindly spent the evening of November 8, 1740, with the regent, Minikh, at night, with courtyard guard officers and soldiers of the Preobrazhensky regiment, of which he was commander, arrested Biron in bed, and the soldiers, after beating him in order and putting a handkerchief in his mouth, wrapped him in a blanket and taken to the guardhouse, and from there, in a soldier's overcoat thrown over night clothes, they were taken to the Winter Palace, from where they were then sent with the family to Shlisselburg.

Ruler Anna Leopoldovna

While Anna, unkempt, in a negligee, sat in her boudoir, husked seeds, eating cakes, and chatted with her favorite Julia Mengden about how stupid and terrible the prince was, Anton Ulrich took his duties quite seriously. From the first days, he delved into the affairs of the Military Collegium, attended the reports of ministers to the ruler, and often attended meetings of the Senate. According to him, the Senate and the ruler issued a number of decrees, for example, on the regulation of navigation in the border zone in the Baltic.

The situation became more complicated when Sweden, pushed by France, declared war on Russia. In the Swedish manifesto, among other reasons for the war, it was indicated (oh, the eternal touching concern of Europeans for something like Russian!) The desire of the Swedes to liberate Russia from foreign rule. This implied the transfer of power to the “truly Russian” daughter of Peter Elizabeth, who had previously been in the political shadow. I wonder why it was the Swedes who so confidently sought to put Elizabeth on the throne? One can hear the sound of the wheels of a sealed wagon.

Anton Ulrich was not at that time weak-willed and passive, as some historians write about him. He saw the danger from Elizabeth and made attempts to save the situation. He discussed the situation with the British envoy, organized surveillance of Munnich, who was looking for contacts with Elizabeth. The prince demanded from Anna Leopoldovna the arrest of Elizabeth, whose negotiations with French and Swedish diplomats were obvious. But the ruler, who received such warnings from all sides, remained indifferent to them, not imagining the consequences of the catastrophe for the whole family. The catastrophe broke out on the night of November 25, 1741.

Elizaveta Petrovna arrests Anna Leopoldovna, the Empress...

I will not describe the tearful lies of Elizabeth and beautiful picture"a royal maiden with a protected baby in her arms", politics is politics, nothing personal. The baby was sent to prison, where he spent his entire short life alone and abandoned, until he was killed by the jailers.

Tvorozhnikov "Lieutenant Vasily Mirovich at the corpse of John Antonovich on July 5, 1764 in the Shlisselburg fortress"

The rest of the family, deprived of titles and property, lived out their lives in a small house turned into a prison in Kholmogory (they simply did not reach Solovki).

Here Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to two more sons and died of puerperal fever on March 8, 1746. Anton Ulrich was caring and loving father who managed to raise children in prison as kind and honest people. Despite the strict ban on teaching children to read and write, the father taught them to read and write. Children showed intelligence and dignity in communication with the guards, and with the governor, and with the empress (with the latter - in letters).

The imprisonment of the A. family in Kholmogory was full of hardships; often she needed the bare necessities. A staff officer with a team was assigned to supervise them; several men and women from a simple rank served them. Any communication with outsiders was strictly forbidden to them; only the Arkhangelsk governor had an order to visit them from time to time to inquire about their condition.

When Empress Catherine II ascended the throne, Prince Anton wrote her a letter asking for her release. This empress offered him freedom, but only to him. Anton Ulrich, as she expected, refused to leave the children in prison, and did not make such requests again.
The prince's health gradually weakened, he began to go blind. He died on May 4, 1776. The prince was buried secretly near the wall of the church adjoining the bishop's house. The exact place of his burial is unknown. Archival documents testify that on the night of the 5th to the 6th, his body was carried out in a coffin upholstered in black cloth with a silver braid, and quietly buried in the nearest cemetery inside the fence of the house, where he was kept in the presence of only guard soldiers, who it was strictly forbidden to talk about the place of burial.

A commemorative cross erected at the site of the alleged burial of Anton-Ulrich

Four years later, Catherine II allowed the four children of Anton Ulrich to be sent to Denmark to his sister, Dowager Queen Juliana Maria.

10 Sept. 1780, after a stormy voyage, they arrived at Bergen, from there on a Danish warship on 6 October. - to Flanstrand and by land 15 Oct. — in Gorsen's. Here, over time, the Russian ministers were fired and returned to Russia, leaving only the priest and churchmen and a small staff of Danish courtiers. From the greed of the latter, the princes and princesses suffered a lot. Princess Elizabeth passed away on 20 Oct. 1782, 39 y. from birth. Five years later (October 22, 1787), the younger Prince Alexei died, and on Jan. 30. 1798 - Peter. With the death of her brothers and sister, orphaned by a 55-year-old old woman, Princess Catherine dragged out her life extremely sadly and even yearned for her imprisonment in Kholmogory. She died in 1807, leaving by will all her property to the heir to the Danish throne, Frederick.

A list of which you will see below, more often received this rank as recognition of military merit. Finding a position was often an episode political career and associated with military victories.

Generalissimo of Russian history

The word generalissimo can be translated from Latin as "the most important" or "the most important." In many countries of Europe and later Asia, this title was used as the highest military rank. The generalissimo was far from always a great commander, and the best of them won their greatest victories before gaining a high-profile position.

In the history of Russia, five commanders were awarded this highest military rank:

• Alexey Semenovich Shein (1696).
• Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1727).
• Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740).
• Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (1799).
• Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (1945).

Who was first?

Aleksey Semenovich Shein in the historical literature is most often called the first generalissimo in the history of our country. This man lived a short life and was one of the associates of Peter I at the beginning of his accomplishments.

Alexey Shein came from a well-born boyar family. His great-grandfather, Mikhail Shein, was a hero of the defense of Smolensk in Time of Troubles, and his father died during the war with Poland in 1657. Alexei Semenovich began his service in the Kremlin. He was a steward under Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich, then - a sleeping bag of the king himself.

In 1679-1681 A.S. Shein was a governor in Tobolsk. Under his leadership, the city, which burned down in a fire, was restored anew. In 1682, Alexei Semenovich received the boyar rank. In 1687, the boyar took part in the Crimean campaign, and in 1695 - the first campaign against Azov.

In 1696, he led the Russian troops during the second campaign against the fortress of Azov. It was then that A.S. Shein received the title of "generalissimo", unusual for Russia. However, the researchers of his biography N.N. Sakhnovsky and V.N. Tomenko questioned this fact. In their opinion, the tsar ordered Shein to be called generalissimo only during the campaign, and the name indicated only the powers of Alexei Semenovich as commander-in-chief of the ground forces. After the end of the campaign against Azov, A.S. Shein did not retain the title of generalissimo given to him for the duration of the hostilities. If we accept this point of view, A.D. Menshikov.

Alexander Menshikov went down in history as the closest associate of the first emperor of Russia and one of the greatest generals of his time. He was directly involved in the military reforms of Peter I, starting with the amusing troops. And in 1706 he defeated the Swedes in the battle of Kalisz, participated as one commander in the victorious battles of Lesnaya and Poltava. For his military merits, Alexander Menshikov rose to the rank of President of the Military Collegium and Field Marshal.

For the first time, the commander tried to claim the highest military rank in the reign of Catherine I, when he had exclusive power. He was able to receive the rank of generalissimo under her successor Peter II, when he still had influence on the tsar.

The Saxon ambassador Lefort recalled the staging of this action. The young emperor entered the chambers of the Most Serene Prince and with the words "I destroyed the field marshal" handed him a decree on the appointment of a generalissimo. At that time Russian empire did not wage wars, and the prince did not have a chance to command armies in a new capacity.

The bestowal of a military rank was one of a whole series of awards that rained down on the Most Serene Prince and his family that year. The most important was the betrothal of his daughter to the emperor. But already in September 1727, Menshikov lost the fight for the favor of the monarch and lost all awards and ranks, including the title of generalissimo. The following year, an associate of Peter I was exiled to Berezovo, where he died in November 1729.

Anton Ulrich was the second son of the Duke of Brunswick and nephew of the famous King Frederick II. In 1733 he was summoned to Russia, and a few years later became the husband of Anna Leopoldovna, the niece of the Empress of Russia.

In 1740, after the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the young son of Anton Ulrich became emperor. The temporary worker of the last reign, Biron, became regent under the baby ruler, and Anton Ulrich was actually removed from making serious government decisions.

Biron feared for his position and, fearing a conspiracy, subjected the emperor's father to an interrogation in public. Anton Ulrich was forced to admit that he wanted to remove the temporary worker from power. Then Biron defiantly offered the highest dignitaries a choice between the prince and himself, and they preferred the acting regent. Head of the Secret Chancellery A.I. Ushakov threatened the emperor's father that, if necessary, he would treat him like any other subject. After that, Anton Ulrich lost all military positions.

On November 7, 1740, Field Marshal Munnich organized a coup and arrested Biron. Contemporaries wrote that Minich, who had previously supported the regent, hoped to receive the rank of generalissimo. But under the new regime, the best Russian commander of his time again did not receive the highest military rank.

Two days later, on November 9, a new manifesto was issued on behalf of Ivan Antonovich. It reported that Biron was suspended, including for insults and threats that he made to the father of the emperor. The powers of the regent were received by the wife of Anton Ulrich, Anna Leopoldovna, and the German prince himself was declared co-ruler and generalissimo.

Anton Ulrich remained Generalissimo until the next palace coup, which brought Empress Elisabeth to power. During the year of being at the highest rank, the prince did nothing. He only quarreled with Minich, who counted on this rank himself and later retired.

After the coup on November 25, 1741, Anton Ulrich lost all his ranks and found himself in the position of a hostage. He lived with his wife and children in the northern provinces of the country. In 1744 he was separated from his son-emperor and transferred to live in Kholmogory. In 1746 his wife died, and he and his remaining children continued to live as an exile. In 1774, the aged and blind former generalissimo died. A few years later, Empress Catherine allowed his children to leave Russia and gave them a financial allowance.

Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov became famous as the greatest Russian commander of his time and one of the greatest in Russian history. During his long military career, he successfully fought against the rebellious Poles, the Ottoman Empire, and revolutionary France. He received the highest military rank less than a year before his death, after his last military campaign.

In November 1799, after the completion of the difficult Swiss campaign, Alexander Suvorov was awarded the highest military rank by the Emperor of Russia as a reward for his service and military leadership. From now on, the military board was supposed to send the commander not decrees, but messages.

The Generalissimo withdrew troops from Switzerland by order of the emperor and returned with them to Russia. When the army was in Poland, Suvorov went ahead to the capital. On the way, the generalissimo fell ill and went to his estate. His condition changed for the better, then worsened. And in May 1800, Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov died.

The decree on the introduction of the highest military rank of generalissimo into the USSR appeared on June 24, 1945. A day later, at the suggestion of the Politburo, this rank was given to I.V. Stalin. The title of generalissimo was a sign of recognition of the merits of the general secretary during the war years. In addition to the highest military rank, Joseph Vissarionovich received the title of "Hero Soviet Union and the Order of Victory. According to the memoirs of contemporaries of the events, the leader of the USSR several times refused to introduce this rank.

The rear service of the Soviet army developed the uniforms and insignia of the new position. They were not approved during the lifetime of the Secretary General, who, if necessary, wore the uniform of a general of the USSR with marshal's shoulder straps. One of the options for the dress uniform of the Generalissimo was rejected by Stalin, who considered it too luxurious.

The military charter of the USSR after the death of Joseph Vissarionovich allowed for the possibility of anyone accepting the title of generalissimo, but no one else was honored with this rank. The Charter of 1975 allowed the awarding of the title of Generalissimo for special services to the country associated with the leadership of all armed forces in wartime. The title of generalissimo was not introduced into the military charter.

The military and ordinary citizens of the USSR have repeatedly made proposals to give the title of generalissimo to the current general secretaries - N.S. Khrushchev and L.I. Brezhnev. But they did not receive an official move.

Not all the generalissimos of Russia and the USSR, the list of which was higher, became famous as major commanders. But for all of them (except Shein), the title of generalissimo was nothing more than an additional award or recognition of military merit.