The Year of Catherine II in Moscow. We visit the exhibition at the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

At Grand Palace of the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve an exhibition that shows how Catherine II spent the year 1775 in Moscow has now opened. Despite the fact that the capital at that time was Saint-Petersburg, all major triumphs were celebrated in the ancient capital. And, having won her first foreign policy victory in the war with the Ottoman Empire, Catherine traveled to Moscow.

This period was not only a time for the celebration of victory, but also the development of important state reforms, and she made many private trips to the city and the surrounding area, and also purchased the Chernaya Gryaz estate, which now forms part of the city and is the site of the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve.

Long journey

The journey from Tsarskoye Selo to Moscow began on January 16. The trip was long, cold and tiring, but it was made easier by the pleasant household items that accompanied Catherine on the road, including special traveling sets, a breakfast set a table with folding legs, and much more.

Stops were made both in towns and at post stations. Changing horses took time, and Catherine usually devoted the two hours or so to work. An interesting document has been preserved — a register of carriages, which allows us to imagine how big the imperial train was, given that 312 horses were waiting for it at each post station.

On January 22 the ruler approached Moscow. She arrived at the palace on the territory of the modern Sokolniki district, which served as a staging post, and waited in full readiness for the ceremonial entry into the city. It took three days, and it was finally on January 25 that the Empress and her entourage passed through the triumphal arches erected along her route.

The final point of the trip was the Uspensky Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, where service of prayer was held, and afterwards Catherine II went to the Prechistensky Palace. All these events were told in detail in the Moscow Vedomosti, and the Russian State Library has created special bindings for these newspapers in preparation for the exhibition.

Celebrations

Catherine’s visit was dedicated to the celebration of the victory over the Ottoman Empire and the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainarji Peace Treaty, which ended the Russo-Turkish War. The main celebrations took place in the summer. Impressive large-scale decorations representing models of conquered fortresses were built on Khodynka Field. In addition, an exciting fireworks display was laid on for Moscow’s residents.

Representatives of Turkey also came to the celebrations, bringing with them the ratified treaty concluded on July 10, 1774. For Catherine they prepared rich gifts: four magnificent horses, as well as a saddle of the European type, embroidered in the oriental manner. Whether the Empress used it for its intended purpose is unknown, but it is possible to see what it looked like, as this valuable gift is included in the exhibition.

In addition, visitors will be able to see portraits of the Russian commanders, maps of the battles and campaigns, details of the military uniforms, and weapons. Catherine loved to be compared to the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom and war Minerva, and there is a bust of her depicted as Minerva in the exhibition.

Numerous visits

In that year, Catherine paid special attention to the visits she paid to the nobility, merchants, and representatives of the clergy. From January through December, she visited about 25 estates, not counting short outings, but only those trips that lasted more than a day. She needed to meet with people to understand what amendments and reforms each province needed.

One of her visits was to Afanasy Goncharov, whose great-great-granddaughter Alexander Pushkin would go on to marry. He was a famous Kaluga merchant and industrialist, and one of the pioneers of cloth and paper production in Russia. His factories were the main suppliers of cloth for the Russian army. To commemorate Catherine’s arrival, one of his factories made a small sculpture, which then, through generations, traveled with Pushkin (he intended to sell the “copper grandmother,” as he called her).

The original sculpture, unfortunately, was lost during the Great Patriotic War, when the Germans who took Kaluga and defiantly melted it down for bullets. The exhibition shows a replica recreated from photographs and descriptions.

The new estate

On the way from Kolomenskoye, Catherine stopped by the neighboring estate of the Kantemir Princes, Chernaya Gryaz. Soon, just nine days later, she bought and renamed it Tsaritsyno. A site plan from that time is one of the exhibits is on display.

It was decided that the Empress would spend some time there with Prince Grigory Potemkin, her favorite. They stayed in the temporary Summer Palace on the bank of the Tsaritsyno lake.

Local peasants gladly welcomed the Empress, led round dances in her honor, arranged open-air performances and cheerful fishing demonstrations using drag nets.

During Catherine’s meals the dining table was decorated with the famous hunting set personally ordered by her from the Meissen Royal Porcelain Manufactory (Germany). All items, including the spoons, depict hunting scenes, hence the name. A small part of the service is on display in the exhibition.

Maps, coffee and a lot of work

Catherine II liked to spend her evenings playing cards. Her favorite game was Pharaoh, in one version of which the winner is the first player to get rid of all the cards, while in another, it is the player with the most points at the end of the game. The exhibition includes the original maps that the Empress held in her hands.

Despite all the receptions, masquerades and social visits, Catherine II woke up quite early. Every morning she invariably drank a cup of strong coffee, sometimes took a short walk, and then got to work. She labored alone for more than two hours reviewing papers, and then the officials’ receptions and collaborative work on preparing documents would begin.

The most important document of 1775 is the Regulations for the Administration of Provinces of the Russian Empire. It became the basis for the provincial reform which changed the administrative-territorial division of the country, increasing the number of provinces and removing some. Such a document, concerning the Tver province, was kept in an elaborate chest, which can be seen at the exhibition.

The Empress left Moscow on December 20. Having seen many of its problems firsthand, Catherine adopted a new plan for the city, providing for many changes in its appearance. For example, the plan led to the creation of the Water Diversion Canal, a system of locks, fountains and drinking springs, the creation of the Boulevard Rings and a clear division of the city into neighborhoods. The ruler developed the document together with the French architect Nicolas Legrand and the Moscow commander-in-chief Jacob Bruce. The same plan was taken as a basis for the restoration of Moscow after the fire of 1812.

The exhibition 1775. Triumph of Catherine II. Moscow’s Year of the Empress is open until August 17. It can be visited with an admission ticket to the museum.