National Geographic History - July 2019

6 JULY/AUGUST 2019

PROFILES

Princess Tarakanova,

Pretender to the Throne

Catherine the Great of Russia faced many threats to her rule during her

30-year reign, but the attempts of one imposter princess became legendary.

ELIZABETH I OF RUSSIA, HERMITAGE MUSEUM, ST. PETERSBURG

The enigmatic imposter claimed

she was the daughter of Peter’s

predecessor, Elizabeth of Russia.

E

mpress Catherine II of Russia

was no stranger to conspiracies

and cabals orchestrated by her

enemies, but in the early 1770s,

one mysterious woman’s claim

to the throne would expose deep insecu-

rities underlying Catherine’s reign. The

empress ordered that “Princess Vladi-

mir” (later known as “Princess Tarakano-

va”) be imprisoned in the Peter and Paul

Fortress in St. Petersburg.

Although Catherine II is better now

known as Catherine the Great, her reign

had a rocky start. Empress Elizabeth, be-

fore she died in 1762, had named Peter, her

nephew and Catherine’s husband, heir to

the throne. Six months after her death, a

coup, led by Catherine, forced Peter III to

abdicate. About a week later, imprisoned

in a palace in Ropsha outside of St. Peters-

burg, Peter died while in the care of Cath-

erine’s allies. Rumors spread that Catherine

had orchestrated her husband’s murder.

Threats to the Throne

The new empress faced challenges

from many sides. Her

sweeping political re-

forms sparked oppo-

sition from a sector

of the conserva-

tive Russian

nobility. In addition, Polish powers,

opposed to Russia’s interference in

their country, also had a vested interest

in undermining the new empress. Since

her accession to the throne, Catherine

had exerted increasing pressure on Po-

land, practically turning it into a Rus-

sian protectorate.

In 1772, Russia annexed extensive ter-

ritories east of the Polish-Lithuanian

kingdom, while Prussia and Austria did

the same in the west and south. Many no-

bles who had fought against Russia went

into exile, waiting for an opportunity to

resume the struggle against Catherine. It

was within this context of political tur-

moil that the threat of several pretenders

to the throne arose.

The most dangerous uprising to

threaten Catherine’s rule came in 1773,

when a former army officer named Ye-

melyan Pugachev claimed to be Cather-

ine’s dead husband Peter III. Pugachev

led a group of armed peasants rebelling

against the harsh socioeconomic condi-

tions of the times. With the help of thou-

sands of supporters, Pugachev captured

a large amount of Russian territory, but

Catherine, recognizing the seriousness

of the rebellion, sent the army to defeat

him. Pugachev was seized and publicly

beheaded in 1775.

The Life

of an

Imposter

1775

The false princess

dies while imprisoned

in St. Petersburg.

Her true identity is

never discovered.

1774

Catherine II orders Count

Alexei Orlov to lure the

mystery woman into a

trap. She is arrested

and sent to Russia.

1772

A young woman in Paris

claims to be the daughter

of the late Empress

Elizabeth and attracts the

support of wealthy men.

July 1762

Following a coup in which

Sophie forces her husband

to abdicate, Sophie

becomes Catherine II. Peter

dies in prison.

JANUARY 1762

Elizabeth of Russia dies,

and is succeeded by

her nephew, Peter III.

Peter’s wife, Sophie, is a

German princess.

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