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Anna Petrovna of Russia

Anna Petrovna was born on 27 January 1708, in Moscow. She was the elder daughter of Emperor Peter I of Russia and Empress Catherine I of Russia. Anna was born out of wedlock, although her parents were married in 1712 and she was later legitimised. However, her early illegitimacy would pose challenges when time came for her to marry.
Anna grew up in the houses of her aunt (on her father's side), Natalia, and Prince Alexander Menshikov. Although born illegitimate, Anna and her younger sister, Elizabeth, were awarded the titles of Princess (tsarevna) on 6 March 1711, and Crown Princess (tsesarevna) on 23 December 1721.

 Peter had planned to marry his daughters to foreign princes in order to gain allies for the Russian Empire. Anna and Elizabeth were educated with this in mind, learning literature, writing, embroidery, dancing, and etiquette. Anna would grow to become an intelligent and well-read girl who spoke four languages: French, German, Italian and Swedish.
Foreign visitors to the Russian court were struck by the uncommon beauty of Anna. Dark-eyed, she looked more like her father and was considered more level-headed and intelligent than her younger sister. A contemporary described Anna as a beautiful soul in a beautiful body...both in appearance and in manners, she was Peter's complete likeness, particularly in character and mind...set off by her kind heart.

 On 17 March 1721, Karl Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, arrived in Russia to get acquainted with his wife-to-be, Anna. He aspired to use the marriage in order to secure Russia's support for his plans of retrieving Schleswig from Denmark. He also hoped to be backed up by Russia in his claim for the Swedish throne. However, under the terms of the Treaty of Nystad, Russia promised not to interfere in Sweden's internal affairs. Karl Friedrich's hopes were dashed.
As a favourite child of Peter I, Anna's name day (3 February) was taken to be a national holiday in 1724.

On 22 November 1724, the marriage contract was signed between Karl Friedrich and Peter I. By this contract, Anna and her husband renounced all claims to the crown of Russia on behalf of themselves and their descendants. However, a secret clause allowed the Emperor to choose a successor out of any sons from the marriage.
A few months later, by January 1725, the Emperor fell mortally ill. As the story goes, on his deathbed he managed to spell out the words to give all... but could not continue further. He sent for Anna to dictate his last will to her. By the time she arrived, the Emperor could not pronounce a single word. Some historians speculated that Peter's wish was to leave the throne to Anna, but this is not confirmed.

After the accession of her mother, Empress Catherine I, a grand wedding was held for Anna in Trinity Cathedral, St Petersburg, on 21 May 1725. Anna was 17 years old, Karl Friedrich was 25. The newlyweds spent the next two years in St Petersburg. Catherine I made her new son-in-law a lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and a member of the Supreme Privy Council. Karl Friedrich now played an important role in the life of the Empire and foreign diplomats predicted that Catherine I would choose Anna as her successor. Later, Karl Friedrich was admitted into the Supreme Secret Council and he exerted a moderate influence in Russian politics. However, Catherine I's death in 1727 made his position precarious, as the power shifted to the hands of Prince Alexander Menshikov. A quarrel between the two resulted in Karl Friedrich's withdrawing to Holstein on 25 July 1727.

When Anna and her husband arrived in the capital of Holstein (Kiel), the Duke underwent a personality change. Merry and gallant in St Petersburg, Karl Friedrich was now a rude, drunken boor. He spent his time in the rowdy company of friends and other women, leaving Anna (who was now pregnant) entirely on her own. 
In Kiel, Anna would spend her days writing long, tearful letters to her sister Elizabeth. Semyon Mordvinov, a lieutenant in the Russian navy, remembers Anna crying bitterly when she gave him her mail to take back to Russia.
On 21 February 1728, Anna gave birth to a son named Karl Peter Ulrich, the future Peter III of Russia. A few days after his birth, the barely 20-year-old Duchess caught puerperal fever. Anna Petrovna died on 4 March 1728. In memory of his wife, Karl Friedrich founded the Order of St Anna, an imperial order of chivalry.

Before her death, Anna had asked to be buried alongside her father in St Petersburg. Two ships were dispatched to Kiel for Anna's body. The coffin was transported up the River Neva on a galley, with a long black crape hanging overboard. On 12 November 1728, Anna was finally laid to rest next to her parents in the still unfinished St Peter and St Paul Cathedral.

Anna Petrovna of Russia
c. 1740s


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