Alexander Lanskoy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alexander Dmitrievich Lanskoy, also called ''Sashin'ka''
Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...
, p. 216.
or ''Sasha'',
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, p. 351.
( – ) was a Russian general, favourite and lover of
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 ...
between 1780 and 1784. It has been said that " look at ercorrespondence with her favorites gives the impression she only had tender feelings for one, Alexander Lanskoi."


Biography


Family

Lanskoy was born to "a Smolensk military officer" Jaques, p. 204. in "an impecunious family of the provincial nobility", where he received a modest education and later became a Horse Guards officer. Massie, p. 326. Sarah Jaques notes that "Lanskoy had grown up at court as a playmate and schoolmate of Catherine's children— Grand Duke Paul and Alexei Bobrinsky, her son with Gregory Orlov." Lanskoy's family, "for his position inevitably brought them great benefits too"
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, p. 349
and have been described as "greedy," Sebag Montegiore, p. 175. were showered with gifts, all with
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 ...
's approval. Sebag Montefiore, p. 182 Lanskoy's male relatives, which consisted of "his cousins Stepan and Paul, were romotedto ensign rank in the Preobrazhensky Guards" with Potemkin's approval, while his sisters, Elizaveta, Advot'ia and Varvara, the first of which was given a house at
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, were appointed maids of honor, married high-ranking husbands at ceremonies in court and later "became ladies-of-the-bedchamber." Though, Jaques notes that, " atherine'slargesse failed to win over his disapproving family who considered the couple's age disparity scandalous." Jaques, p. 254. Vasily Lanskoy, a contemporary statesman four years older than Lanskoy, has been erroneously identified as his brother, however he was his cousin, as his only male sibling was Yakov Dmitrievich, who was older than him.
Sergey Stepanovich Lanskoy Sergey Stepanovich Lanskoy (; - ) was the Russian Minister of the Interior from 1855 to 1861, being inaugurated during a reform-minded era and dismissed after the Emancipation Reform of 1861. He is known for being close friends with Nikolay Mil ...
, who served as Russia's Minister of the Interior between 1855 and 1861, was an extended relative. It has been speculated that Petr Lavinskii (1776–1844), a governor general of Eastern Sibera, may have been his nephew through one of his five sisters. Additionally, Lanskoy's cousin, Vasily Lanskoy, was appointed president of the Provisional Highest Council, a temporary government, of the
Duchy of Warsaw The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
in 1813, while Vasily's brother, Dmitrii, served as governor of Vilno between 1802 and 1804. Another nephew,
Alexander Chernyshyov Prince Alexander Ivanovich Chernyshyov (; 1786, Moscow – 1857, Castellammare di Stabia), General of Cavalry (1827), was a Russian military leader, diplomat and statesman, whose career began in the Napoleonic Wars. After the Battle of Auster ...
, born in 1785 to his sister, Evdokiia Dmitrievna Lanskaia, served as
Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
and in other high ranking positions. For her part, his niece, Varvara Yakovlevna Lanskaya, married Paisi Kaysarov.


Introduction to Catherine

At age 22, Lanskoy had requested his transfer to a provincial garrison since he "lacked sufficient funds to keep pace with his brother officers" and doing so would entail lower expenses. However, " s application was rejected at the
College of War The College of War (sometimes War Collegium, or similar, but not to be confused with other institutions of the same name) was a Russian executive body (or Collegium (ministry), collegium), created in the Government reform of Peter I, government ...
by rigoryPotemkin himself, who then, surprisingly, appointed the young man his personal aide-de-camp." James Harris, the British ambassador, claims Potemkin had another candidate, yet Potemkin supported the choice of Lanskoy. It was Potemkin, who benefitted from Catherine's stable relationship with Lanskoy by having more time to annex Crimea and build the
Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
, who introduced Lanskoy to Catherine on Easter 1780, six months after her latest favourite, Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov, had left with Princess Anna Trubetskaya. However, Massie states that Lanskoy was officially installed in the favourite apartments " November 1779". After undergoing "a doctor's check and an evening with her new ''eprouveuse'' ester of male capacity Anna Protasova," and being thirty years her junior, he became Catherine's favorite. However, Simon Sebag Montefiore, places this in doubt, save for the medical inspection. His tenure as favourite caused " e parade f favorites toslow slightly" until his death, becoming the only one to serve till death, and the longest tenure since Orlov. Massie, p. 327. Virginia Rounding calls him "one of the most successful hoicesCatherine ever made," and mentions that "he seemed to love and respect the Empress as much as she loved him." Robert K. Massie considers him to be one of the five favourites, including the lovers she had as Grand Duchess, whom she loved. Massie expands that "his devotion to Catherine was based on her role as his teacher as much as her position as empress." Catriona Kelly has described Catherine as "nudging her lover...into cultivated pursuits." As with most of her favorites, Lanskoy was beneficiary of her "strongly pedagogical streak in seeking to cultivate promising young noblemen of mediocre background," which Lanskoy responded wholeheartedly to." Sebag Montefiore called him "Catherine's ideal pupil and companion ven though hewas not highly educated but askeen to learn." However, Marie Daniel Bourrée, Baron de Corberon, the French chargé d'affaires in Russia, wrote in September 1780, "' has just been bought y Catherinea library for 10,000 roubles, which he certainly will not read.'" Dixon, p. 265


As Catherine's favourite

Unlike other favourites, Lanskoy did not, or at least attempted to not, involve himself in politics, did not accept bribes or ask for favors or gifts and shared her cultural interests. To cultivate and educate him, Catherine read works by
Francesco Algarotti Count Francesco Algarotti (11 December 1712 – 3 May 1764) was an Italian polymath, philosopher, poet, essayist, anglophile, art critic and art collector. He was a man of broad knowledge, an expert in Newtonianism, architecture and opera. He w ...
with Lanskoy, and "encouraged him to correspond in French with Baron Grimm," which she aided him in doing so. However, she also persuaded Lanskoy to educate himself culturally. Massie posits that, just as his successor Mamonov, Lanskoy was "one of the favourites "who showed interest in her intellectual and artistic pursuits hich made themlikely to last longer." He was made a chamberlain and promoted to general, received petitions and accompanied her in travels. In May and June 1780, Lanskoy accompanied Catherine to
Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...
to meet
Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...
. Woronzoff-Dashkoff, p. 250. Massie, p. 348. He "began to wield great influence in court" and that same year, Jason Smogorzewski appealed fruitlessly to Lanskoy to intercede with Catherine to name a successor to the Ruthenian Catholic Archeparchy of Polotsk–Vitebsk. In 1781, Andrei Shuvalov,
Catherine Shuvalova Countess Catherine Shuvalova, (born Catherine Saltykova on 23 June 1743 – died on 13 October 1817, Rome), was a Russian courtier, Empress Catherine II's Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia, confidant of Platon Zubov and Ober-Hofmei ...
's husband, told Lanskoy rumours that Shuvalov himself had been spreading that Catherine would replace him with Pavel Dashkov, Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova's son, who was her closest female friend, causing Lanskoy to turn against both Dashkova and her son. Woronzoff-Dashkoff, p. 181. For her part "Dashkova was jealous, did not approve, and universally detested all of atherine'sfavorites, especially... Orlov...Lanskoi, and...
Zubov The House of Zubov () was the Russian noble family, that rose to occupy some of the highest offices of state in the 1790s, when Platon Zubov became the last favorite of Empress Catherine the Great (). Members of the family were granted the tit ...
." When Catherine wrote to her son
Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
and his wife when they both were travelling Western Europe between 1781 and 1782, she made no mention of Lanskoy being with her and her grandsons, even though he was present constantly. In 1782, he and Potemkin collaborated to remove
Count Orlov The House of Orlov () is the name of a Russian nobility, Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, scientists, diplomats, and soldiers. The family first gained distinction in the 18th century through the achieveme ...
from court. The same year, Lanskoy's brother, Yakov, eloped with a foreign mistress, from Dresden to Paris, however, Catherine had him apprehended in
Bar-le-Duc Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France. The lower, more modern and busier part of the town extends along a narrow valley, ...
, and worked with Grimm and
Frédéric-César de La Harpe Frédéric-César de La Harpe (; 6 April 1754 – 30 March 1838) was a Swiss political leader, writer and journalist, best known for his pivotal role in the independence of the canton of Vaud from Bern and in the formation of the Helvetic Republ ...
, the future tutor to Catherine's grandson, to return him to Russia.
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, p. 401.
On August 31, 1782, Lanskoy accompanied Catherine, Potemkin and Anna Protasova en route to visit a sick
Ivan Betskoy Ivan Ivanovich Betskoi or Betskoy (; ) was an educational reformer in the Russian Empire who served as Catherine II's advisor on education and President of the Imperial Academy of Arts for thirty years (1764–1794). Perhaps the crowning achieve ...
and stopped at the recently unveiled
Bronze Horseman The ''Bronze Horseman'' (, literally "copper horseman") is an equestrian statue of Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great in the Senate Square (Saint Petersburg), Senate Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was opened to the public on 7 (18) Augu ...
. Later that December, both Lanskoy and Catherine were sick themselves " avingcome down with nasty colds," however, they received the recently elected Marshal of the Nobility of Moscow,
Pyotr Sheremetev Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev () (1713–1788) was a Russian nobleman and courtier, the richest man in Russia aside from the tsar; he was the son of Boris Sheremetev. When his father Boris died in 1719, tsar Peter promised to be "like a father" ...
, and with Potemkin "and a handful f otherof the empress's intimates atup till late in the evening playing cards, chatting, and reminiscing about the old days." During June 1783 Lanskoy was part of Catherine's retinue that left
Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo (, , ) was the town containing a former residence of the Russian House of Romanov, imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the Pushkin, Saint Peter ...
when she travelled to and held a three-day negotiation with
Gustav III Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw ...
at Frederikshamn. In mid-1783 he intervened twice in
Samuel Bentham Brigadier General Sir Samuel Bentham (11 January 1757 – 31 May 1831) was an England, English mechanical engineering, mechanical engineer and naval architect credited with numerous innovations, particularly related to naval architecture, incl ...
's courting of Countess Sophia Matushkina, Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn's niece, which Golitsyn's forbidding of was a scandal, even though both Lanskoy and Catherine encouraged the relationship at first. On the initial occasion, which might have been at Catherine's prompting, Lanskoy tried unsuccessfully to persuade Golitsyn's wife and Sophia's mother on Bentham's behalf by explaining that "the Empress thought they did wrong to oppose the young Countess's inclinations." However, Catherine, who had been aided in taking the throne by Golitsyn and who was one of her closest confidants, eventually ordered Lanskoy to intervene a second time to terminate the relationship. In April 1783, upon hearing of the death of Grigory Orlov, whom she had taken care of after his descent into insanity following the death of his wife, she commented on Lanskoy's support that "' eis tearing himself apart to help me bear my grief, but that makes me melt even more.'" Dixon, p. 266. However, during "Catherine's care and concern for rlov and the time she was prepared to devote to him, appear dto have offended both Potemkin and Lanskoy, who took to their beds in high dudgeon."


Illnesses and death

Between July and August 1783, he suffered a fall from a horse, "an English animal that had already kicked him once before,"
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, p. 396.
which caused him to be ill for six weeks. Catherine described his convalescence to Grimm, informing him that it "put him in bed for several days, but from which he is completely recovered, although his chest was bruised and he was spitting blood, but thanks to his excellent constitution, he doesn't seem to feel it anymore." This coincided with the illness of another friend, Alexander Mihkhailovich Golitsyn, and the birth of her first granddaughter,
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (: – ) was a daughter of Emperor Paul I of Russia and sister of emperors Alexander I of Russia, Alexander I and Nicholas I of Russia, Nicholas I. She married Archduke Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hu ...
, the combination of which she considered a bad omen. Catherine always worried about his health and would take leave of governmental duties whenever this occurred. This also carried itself onto other's actions, as Potemkin, who was forced to " elayhis final orders to
Suvorov Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire. Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...
" to develop a Russian presence in
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, nonetheless, it was cut back and a smaller expedition sent later on. Between 1780 and 1781, James Harris, the British ambassador, wished to strengthen Anglo-Russian relations, with
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
having written a personal letter to her to arrange an alliance between the two nations, however Potemkin had to explain to Harris "" u have chosen an unlucky moment. The favorite anskoylies dangerously ill; the cause of his illness and the uncertainty of recovery have so entirely unhinged the empress that she is incapable of employing her thoughts on any subject, and all ideas of ambition, of glory, of dignity, are absorbed in this one passion. Exhausted, she avoids everything involving activity or exertion."" By March 1782, Harris thought that Lanskoy would not last as favorite, and would be removed,
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, pp. 381–82
taking as evidence the purchase of a house for him and "the preparation of the usual magnificent leave-taking presents", however, this did not come to be, as it was Catherine's wish that the relationship continue until her death. She did not tell the details of the event, "her ''souffre-douleur''" as Rounding called it, to Grimm until 14 of September, three months after the event.
Rounding Rounding or rounding off is the process of adjusting a number to an approximate, more convenient value, often with a shorter or simpler representation. For example, replacing $ with $, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with ...
, p. 402.
On Wednesday, 19 June, Lanskoy came down with a sore throat and " that day he came to me the moment his throat began to hurt him, and he told me that he was about to have a severe illness from which he would not recover I tried to banish this idea from his head..." On Tuesday, , at the age of twenty-six and holding the rank of lieutenant general, Lanskoy died unexpectedly at Tsarkoye Selo with Catherine beside him. Sebag Montefiore, p. 312. His death was caused by
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
, but rumors claimed his health had been weakened by
aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...
s. These, some of which were noted by John Parkinson after a dinner in 1792, alleged he died "in place", "his legs had dropped off" after death and was poisoned or that was actually assassinated because he represented a threat to Potemkin.
Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...
, p. 217.
Additionally, Rounding considers that his delirious request that horses be harnessed to his bed couple with his alleged use of aphrodisiacs, contributed to rumours of Catherine's own death. Dashkova, who derided Catherine's favorites, stated of his death that " e... quite literally burst — his belly burst." Dr. John Rogerson, Catherine's personal physician and the man who bled Golitsyn probably to death in his final illness, "was called in too late" to treat Lanskoy, having given him Dr. Robert James's fever powder the day before his death, however he did aid Catherine in overcoming her subsequent depression. Sha, p. 322. Catherine grieved by " akingrefuge in her apartments, disappearing from public view for months, until she emerged, with Prince Potemkin's help, in September," during which time government activity had ceased. As soon as Lanskoy had died, Bezbordko and Rogeron sent out for Potemkin, who made the journey from Crimea back in seven days, arriving on 10 July. Sebag Montefiore, p. 313. Though, Rounding points out that " e nevertheless continued to carry out the most urgent business of the Empire, giving the necessary orders when required."
Alexander Vorontsov Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov () (4 February 17412 December 1805) was the Chancellor of the Russian Empire during the early years of Alexander I of Russia, Alexander I's reign. He began his career at the age of fifteen in the Izmailovsky ...
, "who had no connection with Lanskoy egrettedhis passing when elearned of its impact on Catherine riting to his brother, Semyon Vorontsov">Semyon_Vorontsov.html" ;"title="riting to his brother, Semyon Vorontsov">riting to his brother, Semyon Vorontsovref name=":19"> Dixon, p. 377.
'The preservation of the empress is too interesting to us all.'" Dixon, p. 268. Rounding considers that his death was the "first time in her life, [she] was incapacitated by grief," while Sebag Montefiore states that " r courtiers had never seen her in such a state." Lanskoy's death has been considered the climax " f hersense of loss, hich wasgrowing steadily with the process of aging, ndher feeling of existential insecurity and abandonement 'sic''" This was made worse by the fact that during the previous winter her beloved Greyhound, Sir Tom Anderson, breathed his last succeeded by Grimm's mistress,
Louise d'Épinay Louise Florence Pétronille Tardieu d'Esclavelles d'Épinay (11 March 1726 – 17 April 1783), better known as Mme d'Épinay, was a French writer, a '' saloniste'' and woman of fashion, known on account of her liaisons with Friedrich Melchior, Ba ...
, who passed away at the beginning of the year, and
Adam Olsufiev Adam Vasilyevich Olsufiev (January 27, 1721 – July 8, 1784) was a figure in the Russian Enlightenment, a lover of literature, the patron of opera and theaters, Cabinet Minister and State Secretary of Empress Catherine II. He ended his career a ...
, her State Secretary, who followed two days after Lanskoy, which caused her to be "close to despair for almost a year." However, " e personally wrote o Lanskoy'smother the day after his death." When she received the letter of condolence, Lanskoy's mother went to see Catherine, nevertheless, she was attended by a lady-in-waiting, as Catherine shunned every visitor after Lanskoy's death. The first three weeks of her grieving, she did not leave her bed, and after that she did not go out, nor were there any entertainments. She was not seen for a month and a half by the court or in public, Sebag Montefiore, p. 314. only Bezborodko and Potemkin, whose initial sympathy was perceived initially as insulting by Catherine, at the beginning, and then by Fyodor Orlov. She "continually skedabout her lover's body, perhaps hoping his death would prove a lie."


Burial

There is a discrepancy as to when he was buried, since it is alleged his corpse "was left to rot in the heat of the summer because Catherine could not bear to see it buried for more than a month." Dixon, p. 267. However, Dixon, as Virginia Rounding noted in a review, "differs from some previous accounts...in giving an earlier date for the funeral." Dixon mentions that Lanskoy's corpse was taken from "Tsarskoye Selo to the house Quarenghi had designed for him in Sofia." Then the body was taken "'with due honour' to harlesCameron's new cathedral on the morning of Thursday 27 June and immediately interred in the neighbouring cemetery following a funeral service hich Catherine did not attendref name=":24" /> conducted by Metropolitan Gavriil." There was an additional rumour that the pallbearers died as a consequence of the stench, however, Sebag Montefiore gives credit to Dashkova's allegations of belly bursting since "unburied corpses do tend to swell in the heat." However, the 27 June date is based on Dixon's allegation that a letter that Bezborodko wrote to Potemkin, where he " eportedthat the funeral took place 'yesterday', is misdated 28 July 1784. The letter's contents, and the collateral evidence n ''Kamer-fur'erskie zhurnaly, 1696–1816'', a type of chamberlain's journal compiled by Sergeĭ Aleksandrovich Sobolevskiĭ place it at 28 June." In his introduction, Dixon mentions that " rrections to generally accepted dates are largely silent, except where they significantly revise our understanding of the course of events" which included not only Lanskoy's funerals but Empress Elizabeth's as well. Another author whom gives a different date for Lanskoy's death is E. F. Petinova, however, John T. Alexander considers it part of a series of "slips in dates" from Petinova's part.


Posthumous events

Catherine left Tsasrkoye Selo on 5 September, however, her grief prevented her from staying at her apartments, wishing to reside at the Hermitage. Following his death she had Karl Leberecht, Jaques, p. 255. her court medalist, design and engrave the 'On the Death of General Alexander Lanskoy' medal struck, which was a silver medal with a "reddish-golden patina" bearing his wigged likeness facing left on the obverse and on the reverse " ur trees surrounding a memorial obelisk ith the inscription "From Catherine, to friendship" with isbirth...and death date below." Additionally, Catherine had a plaque, with Lanskoy's gilded coat of arms above, an inscription that read "What great pleasure for noble souls to see virtue and merit crowned by praise form all", and "a large version of Lebrecht's medal" at the bottom added to an already existing monument on the grounds of the
Catherine Park The Catherine Park () is the large landscaped area to the south of the Catherine Palace, located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo ( Pushkin), 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg, Russia. The park has two parts: a formal 18th century Dutch-style g ...
in Tsarkoye Selo, which though originally intended as "an allegory "of virtues and merits" unconnected with any particular person", nonetheless came to be identified with Lanskoy as time progressed. However, Jaques asserts that Cameron erected the monument, and for his part Massie states that the monument reads "From Catherine to my dearest friend", however, this might be part of the medal, or a replacement text after the plaque disappeared during the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Catherine had stated in "an undated will in her own hand," that if she died at
Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo (, , ) was the town containing a former residence of the Russian House of Romanov, imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the Pushkin, Saint Peter ...
she wished to be interred by Lanskoy's side at the cemetery at Sofia. On the occasion of his death, Catherine wrote, in a letter "too personal to have been written by a secretary" and which has been considered "a masterpiece, a truly pre-romantic expression of existential void and pessimism", to
Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm (26 September 172319 December 1807) was a German-born French-language journalist, art critic, diplomat and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers''. ...
, "who knew Lanskoy well, nd hadremained in his good graces": After Lanskoy's death, Catherine "immersed herself in work on her universal etymological dictionary," which would eventually be published in 1787 under the title ''Linguarum totius orbis vocabularia comparativa''. To aid her in her grief, the private physician of George III in Hanover,
Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann / Johann Georg Zimmermann (8 December 1728, in Brugg, Aargau7 October 1795, in Hanover) was a Swiss philosophical writer, naturalist, and physician. He was the private physician of George III and later Frederick ...
, whom Catherine had previously invited in vain to Russia, sent her his
Solitude considered with respect to its influence upon the mind and the heart
'' Catherine's journey to Crimea was partly put in doubt by Lanskoy's death, however, it was postponed and eventually carried out in 1787. The position of favourite was vacant for a whole year after his death, until Potemkin nominated Alexander Yermolov, who also happened to be a Horse Guard and an aide-de-camp to Potemkin. However, he was uninterested in politics and did not have the same cultural passion of Lanskoy, which was to his, Potemkin's and Catherine's benefit. Massie, p. 328. After Yermolov tried to orchestrate Potemkin's downfall, and brought about his own because of it, Catherine replaced him with "someone she believed was another Lanskoy Alexander Mamonov." However, he did not provide the same care as Lanskoy and carried out a clandestine affair and impregnated Princess Darya Scherbatova. As with all her favorites, she gifted him vast amounts of land and money, the latter amounting to an alleged "tune of several million rubles." Catherine also granted him the title of "count". Her first gift consisted of "jewels, a hundred thousand rubles, and a country estate." Jaques concludes that the gifts "include two houses in St. Petersburg, a house at Tsarskoe Selo, and 80,000 rubles' worth of buttons for his ceremonial caftan." She had
Giacomo Quarenghi Giacomo Quarenghi (; , ; 20 or 21 September 1744) was an Italian architect who was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of neoclassical architecture in Imperial Russia, particularly in Saint Petersburg. He brought into vogue an original mo ...
, her court architect, " esigna house for him at Sofia nd workon a grandiose palace at Velë here Quarenghi also had to "design a great staircase and many internal decorations" Dixon, p. 278. the estate Catherine had bought for him in
Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...
province" and had her gardener, the Scotsman James Meader, go "there to plan the park." Jaques, p. 205. Nevertheless, he willed the whole of his fortune that he had acquired as favorite "which included artworks and library to Catherine", who "divided tequally between his mother, brother, and five sisters." Nonetheless, Catherine kept Lanskoy's books, which she had aided him directly in amassing and were on art history, and added them to the Hermitage Library. Of the gifts he received from Catherine one was a still extant table dessert service by
Giuseppe Valadier Giuseppe Valadier (April 14, 1762 – February 1, 1839) was an Italian architect and designer, urban planner and archaeologist and a chief exponent of Neoclassicism in Italy. A teacher of architecture at the Accademia di San Luca, Valadier was a ...
. This "
surtout de table A surtout de table is an ornamental centrepiece displayed on a formal dining table, "a large centerpiece with mirrored plateaus and numerous candelabra and other possible display pieces on top". In French ''surtout de table'' is the usual term for ...
," which she acquired, with Grimm's help, from
Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier de Breteuil Louis Charles Auguste Le Tonnelier, Baron de Breteuil, Baron de Preuilly (7 March 1730 – 2 November 1807) was a French aristocrat, diplomat and statesman. He was the last chief minister of the Bourbon Monarchy, appointed by King Louis XVI ...
, is " er several feet in length, the ''surtout'' feature Roman buildings and monuments in gilded bronze and gemstones." Jaques, p. 207. Jaques notes that Lanskoy possessed a "discerning eye and interest in art
roving A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced during the process of making spun yarn from wool fleece, raw cotton, or other fibres. Their main use is as fibre prepared for spinning, but they may also be used for specialise ...
the perfect companion. He commenced "collecting books and miniatures copied from the imperial collection nd then addedgems, coins, and several dozen small bronzes, including Giambologna's ''Hercules and the Sacred Hind of Arcadia'' fter which aprint collection followed." The Giambologna, standing "just fifteen inches tall", was "a late Renaissance bronze statuette from...the Flemish-born sculptor's series of the twelve labors of Hercules." In 1784, Catherine made her last major art collection acquisition, that of Sylvain Raphaël, comte de Baudouin, as a gift to Lanskoy. This collection totalled "119 Flemish and Dutch pictures" of which "were nine hen identified asRembrandts, mainly portraits," one being the '' Portrait of Jeremias de Dekker'' and another ''
Pallas Athene Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress o ...
'' as well as six van Dycks. At one point Catherine wrote to Grimm that Lanskoy wished "a miniature copy of
Greuze Jean-Baptiste Greuze (, 21 August 1725 – 4 March 1805) was a French Painting, painter of portraits, genre art, genre scenes, and history painting. Early life Greuze was born at Tournus, a market town in Burgundy (French region), Burgundy. ...
] in enamel [if Grimm procured it, which he eventually did] he will jump like a deer, and his already beautiful coloring will become still more vivid..." Furthermore, they shared a passion for engraved gemstones, and apart from Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov, he was the other of her favourites she would spend hours with " oringover her collection of carved jewels" and when Lanskoy died "she packed the trinkets away, heartbroken, and wrote to her dealer, who happened to be Grimm: "As for carved stones, tell those who offer them to you that I never bought them for myself, and... I will not buy any more. My grief is extreme, such as I have never felt..."" This only lasted a year though, as the next year " atherineacquired Lanskoy's collection from his heirs, including his gems and casts." When informing Grimm of his fall from a horse, Catherine mentioned that " en...Lanskoy heard that you had let go of a collection of antique stones without buying them, he almost fainted, and was nearly suffocated by it." It is known that she gifted Lanskoy a cabinet with engraved gemstones by
James Tassie James Tassie (1735–1799) was a Scotland, Scottish engraved gem, gem engraver and modeller. He is remembered for a particular style of miniature medallion heads, portraying the profiles of the rich and famous of Britain, and for making and sell ...
, which was returned to her upon Lanskoy's death. However, it has not been determined without a shadow of a doubt whether a specific specimen in the Hermitage, probably designed by
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
and made by Samuel Roach or Roake of London, is one and the same. Though Lanskoy did not live to see it, his promtping of Catherine "to use native stones from the Urals and Siberia for new gems" led to the establishment of grinding workshops "for cameo arts" at
Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...
and
Kolyvan Kolyvan ( or ) has various referents: Placenames The name of several inhabited localities in Russia. * Urban localities ** Kolyvan, Novosibirsk Oblast, a work settlement in Kolyvansky District of Novosibirsk Oblast * Rural localities ** Kol ...
. In 1784, one of the first
Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
churches in Russia was built, the now-demolished St. Nicholas Church, in an estate gifted by Catherine to Lanskoy in Posadnikovo. It is possible the church was designed by
Yury Felten Georg Friedrich Veldten, russified as Yury Matveyevich Felten (; 1730–1801) was a Russian Imperial architect who served at the Empress Catherine the Great's court. Yury Felten was born Georg Veldten, into a family of German immigrants to Rus ...
, who as court architect was working on a building in St. Petersburg for Lanskoy. It was at this " eltendesigned residence on
Palace Square Palace Square ( rus, Дворцо́вая пло́щадь, r=Dvortsovaya Ploshchad, p=dvɐrˈtsovəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ), connecting Nevsky Prospekt with Palace Bridge leading to Vasilievsky Island, is the central city square of St Petersb ...
facing the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...
" that "Lanskoy displayed his new ollectedartworks." After Lanskoy's death, under Catherine's orders, "the splendid parquet floors from his St. Petersburg residence reinstalled in her new Agate Pavilion ot to be confused with the Amber Room">Amber_Room.html" ;"title="ot to be confused with the Amber Room">ot to be confused with the Amber Roomat Tsarskoe Selo." Richard Brompton, portrait painter to Catherine, was commissioned a portrait of Lanskoy, however Brompton died before the work was finished. She wrote to Grimm "Brompton died and did not finish the portrait which he had begun. But you will see that the choice of Lanskoi was not bad though God knows where he got it from; he prowls around all the rtists'studios every morning...." An anonymous portrait of Lanskoy was used to represent " e parade of young officers who followed Potemkin" as Catherine's lovers in the
Hermitage Rooms The Hermitage Rooms was the name by which a series of rooms at Somerset House, London, were known from 2000 to 2007. During this period they were used as a venue for temporary exhibitions from the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Pete ...
' inaugural exhibition ''Treasures of Catherine the Great.'' In 1786.
Pyotr Sheremetev Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev () (1713–1788) was a Russian nobleman and courtier, the richest man in Russia aside from the tsar; he was the son of Boris Sheremetev. When his father Boris died in 1719, tsar Peter promised to be "like a father" ...
commissioned Ivan Argunov "to paint a portrait of his deceased friend Aleksandr Lanskoy using the most recent engraving of his likeness." Lanskoy's private collection was one of the earliest large, private art collections that "entered the Hermitage after the death of their owners," others of note being those owned by Potemkin and Grigory Teplov. Lanskoy's own brother, Yakov, commissioned a painting of the Last Judgement, where Lanskoy was portrayed "burning below in the fires of
Gehenna Gehenna ( ; ) or Gehinnom ( or ) is a Biblical toponym that has acquired various theological connotations, including as a place of divine punishment, in Jewish eschatology. The place is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as part of the border ...
," while the rest of the family was in heaven. Another relative of the couple, this time, Catherine's grandson, Nicholas I, removed the plaque from the Lanskoy monument because it was "too compromising for the dynasty", and had Lanskoy's portrait taken off the wall of the Hermitage, declaring "It has no place here!"


Personality

Catherine considered that his "good humor...made Tsarskoe Selo 'into the most charming and pleasant of places where the days passed so quickly one did not know what had become of them.'" On another occasion she described him as "kind, gay, honest, and full of gentleness", and she used to "
all All or ALL may refer to: عرص Biology and medicine * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer * Anterolateral ligament, a ligament in the knee * ''All.'', taxonomic author abbreviation for Carlo Allioni (1728–1804), Italian physician and pro ...
him a knight." He was "strikingly handsome...
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometers, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is i ...
refined, gamin features" and a "very handsome young man" Sebag Montefiore, p. 174. Sebag Montefiore called him "the companion she deserved", "her Holy Grail" and describes him as "the gentlest, sweetest and least ambitious of Catherine's favorites," which made her "truly happy at last." Jaques describes him "beautifully mannered" and describes "Catherine
alling Alling () is a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the A ...
head-over-heels for her good-natured lover." Rounding states that Catherine talked proudly of him, as a grandmother would, and used the plural we to refer to Lanskoy when describing him to Grimm: Massie describes him as " avingan elegant bearing and a sensitive face" and as an "ardent young student; hoin atherine'smind, no one could compete with ischarm, brilliance, and devotion." Massie elaborates on Lanskoy as follows: Alexander Bezborodko, described him as "not of good character," however, he did recognize him as "compared to the others, he was an angel. He had friends, did not try to harm his neighbors, and often he tried to help people." Massie considers that, contrary to contemporary rumours, Potemkin did not feel jealous of Lanskoy. However Lanskoy himself was prone to jealousy. After the Saint Petersburg Gazette, which was published by the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...
headed by Dashkova, reported that by name that Dashkova had accompanied Catherine on her June 1783 trip to Finland and omitted Lanskoy he "was first suspicious and then incensed by what he felt to be inaccurate and prejudiced reporting of heevents." Another expression of his jealousy for Catherine was her gifting a bust of herself by Fedot Shubin (now at the
Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...
) to Dashkova. Upon Lanskoy " akingoffense, claiming the statue was his" Catherine ruled in Dashkova's favor, after which, according to Dashkova, he threw a furious glance at the victor. Another instance that might have grounds for a rift in the relationship comes from James Harris, who stated that in May 1781, Catherine had carried out an affair with Mordvinov, however, Potemkin stepped in and aided in the relationship. Harris recounts that Lanskoy's high tolerance for Catherine's flirting was "neither jealous, inconstant, nor impertinent and laments the disgrace...in so pathetic a manner" that he endeared himself even more to Catherine. For his part, Simon Dixon portrays a somewhat different Lanskoy than Massie's, which is more in line with Dashkova's encounters, however Dixon agrees that Catherine had relationship unlike any since Orlov and she was more maternal towards Lanskoy: Dixon goes on, comparing life with Potemkin versus Lanskoy "– life with Sasha Lanskoy must have seemed reassuringly undemanding. It was certainly less competitive." Sebag Montefiore, agrees with Dixon, identifying that Lanskoy had a "taste for splendor," was "calm and good-natured" and that " ewas the best of the minions because he truly adored her and she him." For her part, Rounding describes him in a manner combining both Massie and Dixon's portrayals: Lanskoy seems to have understood his role "as the junior member of the triad" as evidenced by Catherine, who wrote to Potemkin, "I enclose a little note from someone who is extremely attached to you, and longs for you cruelly." Sebag Montefiore labelled him "the favourite who was happiest to join the broader Catherine-Potemkin family." Sebag Montefiore, p. 192. He would call Potemkin a "father" or "dear uncle", would express the dullness he felt without Potemkin and urged him to "come as soon as possible." For his part, Potemkin would answer him with "kind notes and oranges." This relationship included Potemkin's nieces, which Lanskoy treated with utmost kindness and reported to Potemkin health events, from pregnancies to fevers, that afflicted Catherine, himself or the nieces. Lanskoy's successor, Mamonov, would also carry on this tradition. The only time Lanskoy was cause for Potemkin's ire occurred on April 1780, when Potemkin was planning Catherine's meeting with Joseph II at Mogilev. Lanskoy wrote to Catherine that Potemkin's "soul is full of anxiety." Catherine wrote to Potemkin using "we" to refer to herself and at times, singularly Lanskoy, ending the letter with " r only sorrow concerns you, that you're anxious." Potemkin's outburst caused Lanskoy to seek Catherine, who thought Lanskoy had irritated Potemkin and wrote " ease let me know if eannoyed you somehow and if you are angry with him and why exactly." Another supposed intrigue was the false allegation that Potemkin was the cause of a plague outbreak in 1783, in which "even Lanskoy assomehow involved," however there were no grounds to link him.
Ludwig von Cobenzl Johann Ludwig Joseph, Von Cobenzl, Graf von Cobenzl (21 November 1753 – 22 February 1809) was a diplomat and politician of the Habsburg monarchy. He served as the State Chancellor of the Habsburg monarchy from 18 September 1801 to the 25 Decem ...
, the Austrian ambassador to Russia, had reassured Joseph II on their meeting with Catherine, accompanied with Lanskoy, at Mogilev, that Lanskoy "is 'that species of favourite, who are frequently subject to change, have no influence on affairs, and who limit themselves to making their fortune and that of all those who belong to them'." Another ambassador, James Harris, said of him " is neither jealous, inconstant nor overbearing; and even when he cannot be ignorant of his approaching fall, he preserves the same placid unexceptionable temper." He is alleged to have "used stimulants to increase his sexual prowess." Lanskoy trained Theseus Tom, one of the greyhounds Catherine kept in her room. Even so, "the training seems to have been only partially successful, as Theseus had a tendency to nip the leg of anyone who tried to share the hearth with him", with the exception of
Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...
and
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...
.


In popular culture

Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov Count Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov (Russian language, Russian: Александр Сергеевич Строганов; 3 January 1733 – 27 September 1811) was a Russian aristocrat and a member of the Stroganov family. He was an assistant to ...
, a contemporary Russian courtier and collector just like Catherine and Lanskoy, authored ''The Morning of the Curiosity Lover'', a direct critique at obsessive collecting portrayed by a Count in the Hermitage. A French translation by Petr Bugdanov of Matthew Guthrie's first published work,
On the Anti-septic Regimen of the Natives of Russia
', part of a letter to
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...
, published in 1784, was dedicated to Lanskoy. John Parkinson, an
Oxford don A don is a fellow or tutor of a college or university, especially traditional collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The usage is also found in Canada and in the United States. Like ...
and clergyman, made a Grand Tour of Europe which he memorialized in ''A Tour of Russia, Siberia and the Crimea, 1792–1794'' (published 1971) where he included a "Note on Lanskoy," after a dinner in 1792, mentioning the several rumours that abounded even in Catherine's late-reign on her sexual life and Lanskoy's death.
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
compared Don Juan in his eponymous work (1824), who himself became a favorite of Catherine, to Lanskoy and arrives after she "had just buried the fair-faced Lanskoi," and is said to resemble him. Byron's narrative voice also points out that "most of Catherine's innumerable lovers, with the exception of...Lanskoi, her favorite, were "mostly nervous six-foot fellows."" This work, and especially Don Juan as a favourite, "is unmistakably related to" the character of Vladimir Lensky in
Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...
's novel in verse ''
Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...
''. In
Tomoyoshi Murayama was a Japanese artist, play writer, novelist and drama producer active during the Shōwa period in Japan. Early life Murayama was born in the Kanda Suehiro district of Tokyo. His father, who was a medic in the Imperial Japanese Navy, died when ...
's puppet play
A Nero in skirts
' (1927) a character by the name of Semyon Mikhailowitsch Lanskoi is a "flag bearer of the Simbirsk regiment, ho is later promoted tocaptain" and is forced to become Catherine's favourite. He is sent to the battlefield, yet returns to the court dressed as a peasant due to the horrors of war. As the penalty for desertion is death, she puts him in prison and orders he be executed. However, Catherine informs him that it will all be staged, nonetheless he ends up beheaded under the czarina's orders, unbeknownst to him that she had lied to him.
Jayne Meadows Jayne Meadows (born Jane Cotter; September 27, 1919 – April 26, 2015) was an American stage, film and television actress, as well as an author and lecturer. She was nominated for three Emmy Awards during her career and was the elder sist ...
, playing Catherine in the first part of a two-part episode, which aired as the Episode 5 of Season 4 (1981), of her husband's show ''
Meeting of the Minds Meeting of the minds (also referred to as mutual agreement, mutual assent, or ''consensus ad idem'') is a phrase in contract law used to describe the intentions of the parties forming the contract. In particular, it refers to the situation wher ...
,'' commented in character, "Oh yes, Zavadovskii. Wonderful legs ... and Lanskoi, and one who got away, what was his name?—oh, yes, Ermolov, and Zorich and Mamonov, who died so young, Rimskii and my darling Zubov— dear Zubey—." In
Andreï Makine Andreï Yaroslavovich Makine (; born 10 September 1957) is a French novelist. He also publishes under the pseudonym Gabriel Osmonde. Makine's novels include '' Dreams of My Russian Summers'' (1995) which won two top French awards, the Prix Goncour ...
's novel ''A Woman Loved'' (2013), traces the journey that his protagonist, Russian screenwriter Oleg Erdman, embarks upon to produce a film based on Catherine's life. Erdman believes he has " oundthe soul of his subject" in her relationship with Lanskoy which "is the key to understanding the "hidden side to her that people try to obliterate."" Ivan Korsak describes a fictional Lanskoy in his novel-essay ''The Last Lover of the Empress'' as " ir husky with clumsy manners and modesty of a teenage girl."
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
's unfinished short story ''Posthumous notes of the hermit Fedor Kuzmích'' (1905), gives a fictional account of an entry from Feodor Kuzmich's diary, purporting the disaccredited legend that
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...
faked his own death and continued to live as a hermit. In it, the fictitious Alexander comments on his grandmother's lover:


Honours


Domestic

Knight of the
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...


Foreign

1783: Commander Grand Cross of the
Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* Marie Tetzlaff: ''Katarina den Stora'' (Catherine the Great) (1997) (in Swedish) * Jacques Grot: ''Lettres de Grimm à l'impératrice Catherine II.'' (1885) (in French)


External links

* Murayama Tomoyoshi
''A Nero in skirts (Sukāto o haita Nero)''
(1927) *
Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann / Johann Georg Zimmermann (8 December 1728, in Brugg, Aargau7 October 1795, in Hanover) was a Swiss philosophical writer, naturalist, and physician. He was the private physician of George III and later Frederick ...
:
Solitude considered with respect to its influence upon the mind and the heart
' (1806 translation)
Monument to Alexander Lanskoy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanskoy, Alexander 1758 births 1784 deaths 18th-century art collectors 18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Counts of the Russian Empire Courtiers from the Russian Empire Infectious disease deaths in Russia Respiratory disease deaths in Russia Deaths from diphtheria Imperial Russian Army generals Jewellery collectors Lovers of Catherine the Great People from Smolensk Philanthropists from the Russian Empire Art collectors from the Russian Empire Russian art patrons Russian bibliophiles Russian book and manuscript collectors Russian Imperial Guard officers Russian royal favourites