Princess Tarakanova (c. 1745 – ) was a

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term may often be used to either refer to a descendant of a deposed monarchy or a claim that is not legitimat ...

to the Russian throne. She styled herself, among other names, ''Knyazhna Yelizaveta Vladimirskaya'' (Princess Elizabeth of

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

), ''Fräulein Frank'', and ''Madame Trémouille''. Tarakanova (''tarakan'' is the Russian word for cockroach) is a later name, used only in entertainment (literature, theater, films, paintings), apparently on the basis of her relatives (from her father prince Razumovsky's side) being the owners of the estate Daraganovka (Tarakanovka) in Ukraine - the place where she (apparently) grew up. In her own time, she was not known by that name.

Life

Tarakanova claimed to be the daughter of

Alexei Razumovsky Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky (, ; 1709–1771) was a Ukrainian-born Russian Registered Cossack who rose to become the lover, and it was suggested he was the morganatic spouse, of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia. A member of th ...

and Empress

Elizabeth of Russia Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of Russian rulers, Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, ...

, reared in

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 ...

. Even her place of birth, however, is not certain, and her real name is not known. She is known to have traveled to several cities in Western Europe, and to have become a mistress of Count Philipp Ferdinand of Limburg Stirum, apparently in the hope that he would marry her. She eventually was arrested in

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov Count Alexei (Alexey) Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky (; – ) was a Russian soldier, general-in-chief, general admiral and statesman, who rose to prominence during the reign of Catherine the Great. His joint victory with Grigory Spiridov ...

, who had been sent by

Empress Catherine II 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 III ...

to retrieve her. Orlov seduced her, then lured her aboard a Russian ship and took her to Russia in February 1775. She was imprisoned in the

Peter and Paul Fortress The Peter and Paul Fortress () is the original citadel of Saint Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706 to 1740 as a star fortress. Between the first half of the 1700s and early ...

, where she died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

that December. She was buried in the graveyard of the fortress. A popular theory postulated that her death was faked and that she was secretly forced to take the veil under the name Dosifea. A mysterious nun of this name is recorded as having lived in the Ivanovsky Convent from 1785 until her death in 1810.

Films

* A play written by Ippolit Shpazhinsky was the basis for the 1910 Russian film ''

Princess Tarakanova Princess Tarakanova (c. 1745 – ) was a pretender to the Russian throne. She styled herself, among other names, ''Knyazhna Yelizaveta Vladimirskaya'' (Princess Elizabeth of Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir), ''Fräulein Frank'', and ''Madame Tré ...

''.В Москве кинотеатре «Иллюзион» пройдет кинонеделя «Романовы и Россия»
/ref> * A 1930 French film ''

Tarakanova Princess Tarakanova (c. 1745 – ) was a pretender to the Russian throne. She styled herself, among other names, ''Knyazhna Yelizaveta Vladimirskaya'' (Princess Elizabeth of Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir), ''Fräulein Frank'', and ''Madame Tré ...

'' in which she is played by

Édith Jéhanne Édith Jéhanne (9 February 1899 – 14 June 1949) was a French film actress of the silent and early sound era. Filmography * 1922: ''Rouletabille chez les bohémiens'' (dir. Henri Fescourt) * 1922: ''Triplepatte'' (dir. Raymond Bernard) * 19 ...

. * A 1938 French-Italian film ''

'' with Annie Vernay as Princess Tarakanova and

Pierre Richard-Willm Pierre Richard-Willm (3 November 1895 – 12 April 1983) was a French stage and film actor during the 1930s and 1940s."Pierre Richard-Willm" aCiné-Ressources Retrieved 1 November 2020. Biography Pierre Richard-Willm (originally Alexandre-P ...

as Count Orlov. * In 1950, a joint UK/Italian movie titled '' Shadow of the Eagle'' (Italian-language version ''

The Rival of the Empress ''The Rival of the Empress'' () is a 1951 Italian historical adventure film directed by Jacopo Comin and Sidney Salkow and starring Richard Greene, Valentina Cortese and Isa Pola. A separate English-language version '' Shadow of the Eagle'' was r ...

'') was produced about the seduction mission by Alexei Orlov of Princess Tarakanova, with

Valentina Cortese Valentina Elena Cortese Rossi di Coenzo (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019), sometimes credited as Valentina Cortesa, was an Italian film and theatre actress. Her screen career spanned over 100 productions across over five decades, from 1941 until ...

portraying Tarakanova and

Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English film and television actor. A matinée idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series ...

in the role of Count Orlov. In this story, Tarakanova is portrayed as a real princess who is a threat to Catherine the Great both politically and in royal lineage, not a pretender to the throne of Russia. The story portrays Orlov as a betrayer of Catherine the Great, in that he allies himself with Tarakanova while claiming false allegiance to Catherine. The events in the film follow history authentically until the meeting of Princess Tarakanova and Orlov takes place, and the ending alters actual real-life events, in that Orlov rescues Tarakanova from prison in Russia in a daring raid and they live happily ever after. * In 1990, an award-winning Soviet film production titled ''The Royal Hunt'' was released, directed by Vitaly Melnikov, based on a play by

Leonid Zorin Leonid Genrikhovich Zorin (; 3 November 1924 – 31 March 2020) was a Russian playwright. He was born in Baku, Soviet Union, and studied at Azerbaijan University and at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow. He is author of plays and scre ...

of the same title. It told the story of the life and adventures around Europe of Princess Tarakanova and the operation by Alexei Orlov to trick and capture her. * She appears in ''

Ekaterina Ekaterina is a Russian feminine given name, and an alternative transliteration of the Russian Yekaterina. Katya and Katyusha are common diminutive forms of Ekaterina. Its Western counterpart is Catherine (Katherine). Notable people with the na ...

'' TV series in Season 3: Impostors, portrayed by Angelina Strechina.

References

Sources

Simon Sebag Montefiore Simon Jonathan Sebag Montefiore ( ; born 27 June 1965) is a British historian, television presenter and author of history books and novels, including '' Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar'' (2003), '' Jerusalem: The Biography'' (2011), '' The Rom ...

, '' The Romanovs 1613–1918''

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarakanova, Princess 1740s births Tarakanova, Princess

Tarakanova, Princess Russian people who died in prison custody Tuberculosis deaths in the Russian Empire Prisoners who died in Russian detention 18th-century women from the Russian Empire Prisoners of the Peter and Paul Fortress