Peter II

- Veksel Statue (1729)

- Returned capital to Moscow

One of the Dolgorukii's tries to get their daughter married into the ruling family - to Peter II. Capital moved back to Moscow. --- Peter the Great had established premise of marriage to foreigners to stop noble families from internally competing for access to throne, but Dolgorukii's seen as being "of the top pedigree"

- Peter II died of smallpox day before coronation and wedding

- who to give crown to?

(sidenote: Duke of Mechlenberg - many towns/counties in America named after him - such as Mechlenburg, Va)

Anna Ioannovna(could be described as "overdone")

- Duchess of Courland - E. J. Biron

- "Conditions of 1730"

- Unpopular because of:

- Out-of-fashion court entertainments

- Two wars

- Undeclared in Poland (1733-35)

- With Turkey (1735-39)

- Expenditures

- Positives for nobles:

- Creation of Cadet Academy

- One son could avoid service

- Ballet academy

Paintings regarding Anna, by painter Valery Jakobi:

-Anna's "Cabinet" of Ministers

-Anna's Jesters

-Anna's Ice Palace

Most prefer autocracy over having a noble family assuming power - supported Anna over those who "are no better than we are" - Conditions of 1730 preserved

Biron - University graduate from U of Kernigsberg

- came to St. Petersburg with Anna

(last name given to her, pronounced Yoannovna is to associate her with Germans) - her era remembered popularly as a very bad time --- notion was that Biron was running Russia

Supreme Privy Council initially dominated by Menshikov and foreigners - as well as the Dolgorukiis (oldest nobility of Moscow) - Recall Yuri Dolgorukii

*Ivan Dolgorukii = strongest of the family

Petrine changes to Russia = under threat by the Dolgorukii's following Peter's sudden death

- Peter tried to marry sister off to Duke of Corline

- niece to Duke of Holstein

*Anna needed support from Supreme Privy Council, who had supported Catherine

- tried to place limitations on Anna (the Dolgorukiis influence seen on the council in this way - the 'conditions' ---- however, the 'foreign' and Petrine members of the council opposed threat of Dolgorukii oligarchy and did not immpose nor support the 'conditions' - thus autocracy continues with full power)

Era - the time of the "Bironovshchina" (because name not Russian, the -ov suffix is added to Russianize the name) - Biron held strong influence on Anna - after her fall, sent into exile for years until Catherine II allowed him to leave Russia - returned to Curland to try to reform it and increase status of peasants and decrease status of nobles, to which the Curland nobles backlashed against him and installed son in power

- Osterman (foreign affairs)

- Munich (military head)

-note, both Germans (Petrine leaders)

However, not quite true that Russia was a German dominated society (though this was popular impression under Anna's reign)

- Anna: backwards, or outdated sensibilities in regard to court entertainment

--- seemed out of touch (forced, for example, a 80 year old man to marry a young 20 something girl - to spend "honeymoon" in ice castle where they froze to death --- this for her humor/pleasure) - she was a nut

-- fought two unpopular wars (one undeclared --- King of Poland died (Petrine King of Poland), Augustus II - France had a candidate to put on the Polish throne as opposed to Russian candidate... Russia got candidate elected through war) - expensive

second war 1735-39: against Turkey to gain back Azov

- problems with Malaria (due to drinking brackish water) - tens of thousands died - in the end Victorious and area becomes permanent part of Russia, but dissatisfaction with her and her German leaders at top running Russia for supposed benefit of Germans and not of Russians

- she moved capital BACK to St. Petersburg -- remained capital until 1918 when Bolsheviks removed capital back to Moscow (still St. Petersburg calls itself the Northern or cultural capital)

*Nobles gained some things under Anna:

- recall, Peter required nobles to serve for lifetime, but in 1730s Anna issued decree that if there are several sons in family, one of the sons DOESN'T have to serve and may stay on estate

- Cadet academy established, open only to sons of nobles - entered military as officer if graduate of academy (this a change from Petrine order that even nobles had to rise through ranks, starting from the bottom)

--- Later on second academy established --- both housed in Menshikov's former palace - continued all the way down to Bolshevik Revolution

Anna: gross, "bathroom" sort of humor, but also established the first ballet school in Russia, promoting Italian troops of dancers and opera singers in Russian court (first operas in Russia under her) -- so, one side of personality being vulgar, yet also a patron of high culture -- a bit of a paradoxical individual (both a person looking backward, while simultaneously looking forward) - (perceived as supporting German control of top leadership - but retook Azov for Russia) - opposed by Moscow nobles, yet they had certain gains under her - indeed paradoxical legacy

Ivan VI = Anna's grand nephew (reign didn't last long - his mother's regency not particularly popular -- perceieved as having too much German influene)

1741 = regency of Ivan VI's mother overthrown - Russia being taken back from the foreiners (this is how it was perceived) - coup lead by Elizabeth, who was put up to it by Swedes and French (particulary the French)

--- at one point, Elizabeth lost courage (fear of consequences if failed) - but funded and prodded on by Swedes and French

- Ivan VI and mother kept in Russia in captivity (originally in monastery, then boy sent to Shlisselburg)