Pyotr Zavadovsky (1739–1812) was a Russian Imperial statesman of Ukrainian origin. He was a favourite (lover) of Russian Empress

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

from 1776 to 1777. Count Zavadovsky was named official secretary to Catherine in 1775 and became her lover on 2 January 1776. He is described as serious and cultivated and he is regarded to have been genuinely in love with Catherine. Their relationship was tense because of the jealousy he felt toward

Grigory Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...

, who still had a relationship with Catherine, although Zavadovsky had replaced him in a sexual sense, and Potemkin was also said to have had difficulties accepting the situation. The relationship was ended because of the continuing pressure. In 1778, Catherine contemplated recalling him, but was then introduced to Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov. Zavadovsky became the highest official in the empire’s educational system. In 1780 he was appointed a privy councillor; in 1781, he became the director of the state bank. He later became a senator and, at the end of his life, the minister of education under Czar Alexander I.

In popular culture

In the 2019 HBO miniseries ''

'' Zavadovsky is portrayed by Thomas Doherty.

References

* Simon Sebag Montefiore : ''Potemkin och Katarina den stora - en kejserlig förbindelse'' (Potemkin and Catherine the Great - an imperial commitment) (2006) (In Swedish) 1739 births 1812 deaths 18th-century diplomats of the Russian Empire Russian people of Ukrainian descent Lovers of Catherine the Great Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg) Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Russian royal favourites {{Russia-hist-stub