Author of materials about St. Petersburg, travel, excursions, and city routes.
Historian and guide, specializing in St. Petersburg, Pavlovsk, and Tsarskoye Selo.
We all know Catherine II as a wise ruler who annexed Crimea to Russia, corresponded with philosophers, and generally held all of Europe in her grip. But few know that even in her sixties, Catherine was quite the 'wild empress'! Until her very last days, she couldn't live without male attention, and her last affair was at 60.
'The Boy on a Horse': How Platon Zubov Became the Empress's Favorite
Imagine: 1789, Catherine is already 60. In those days, that was considered deep old age—but not for her. Her next favorite, Dmitriev-Mamonov, got too big for his boots and was dismissed, and then Platon Zubov appeared on the horizon. He was only 22—an age difference of almost 40 years!
How did Platon meet Catherine II? It all happened on the way to Tsarskoye Selo. A 22-year-old horse guardsman, endowed with a slender figure and attractive appearance, during the trip desperately tried to attract Catherine's attention and succeeded; the empress immediately took a liking to him and invited him to dinner. After dinner, Platon was quickly examined by doctors and 'test ladies-in-waiting', and voila—he was already spending the night in the sovereign's private chambers.
Platon Zubov's Life at Court
Platon and Catherine were together for 7 years until her death. In the Winter Palace, Zubov was given luxurious rooms right next to her bedchamber. There, in the Winter Palace, every morning Platon, lounging in an armchair with a pet monkey, would gather huge queues of those wishing to get his audience, demonstrating his power.
'Dear child Platosha,' as the empress called him, arranged a fairy-tale life at court. The empress doted on him, showering him with wealth and awards. He held 36 positions at once! He was both head of the navy and governor-general, and God knows what else, though contemporaries whispered that he wasn't brilliant and simply struggled with important papers, and all his work was done by assistants. Catherine didn't care: she wrote that she 'came back to life like a fly after hibernation.'
An interesting fact: over 7 years, the empress spent more money from the treasury on her young lover than on the legendary Potemkin over 20 years! Also, a funny incident occurred when she gave him a huge estate near Mogilev. It turned out that she had already given this same estate to Potemkin earlier.
Platon Zubov after the Death of Catherine II
When Catherine suddenly died in 1796, dark times came for Zubov. He fled the palace in horror and didn't show up for 10 days. The new emperor Paul I, who hated his mother's favorites, first pardoned him, then took away almost all his estates and expelled him from the country.
Platon did not remain in debt and wished for revenge. In 1801 he became an active participant in the conspiracy against Paul. They say it was his brother Nikolai Zubov who dealt the emperor that very fatal blow to the temple with a massive golden snuffbox.
The Fate of Platon Zubov
The finale of Platon's life was dramatic. He turned into an incredibly stingy old man who sat in the basement and admired his chests of gold (by the way, it was from him that Pushkin based his 'The Miserly Knight').
And then at 54 years old, the old rich man fell madly in love with a young poor Polish woman and married her. Happiness did not last long — a year later he died, leaving the widow a million-strong fortune that Catherine had once collected ruble by ruble from the entire empire.
Catherine II and Platon Zubov: Answering Questions
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What nicknames did Platon have?
Catherine II affectionately called him 'dear child Platoshа' or 'dear Platoshа'. Grigory Potemkin behind his back called him 'a sick tooth' that needed to be pulled out. -
What was the relationship between Potemkin and Zubov?
Potemkin hated Zubov and, unlike many other favorites, was not his patron. He openly conflicted with him and was jealous of his influence on the empress -
How did Catherine II's courtiers feel about her romance with young Platon Zubov?
At court, Zubov was disliked and treated with irritation. He was considered arrogant, smug 'peacock' and 'favorite of fortune', possessing no talents. His rise was perceived by many as a manifestation of the aging empress's weakness. -
Why was Platon Zubov called 'The Miserly Knight'?
In old age he became incredibly greedy, lived in filth and did nothing but go down to the basement to admire his chests of gold
Tour of the Hermitage
Do you want to see those very rooms where the fate of the country was decided between kisses and coffee? Leningrad tour invites you on an excursion to the Winter Palace, where every corridor still whispers about the secrets of Platon and his great patroness.
The excursion program also includes a visit to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the cruiser 'Aurora', the Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Isaac's Square. You don't need to worry about extra expenses, as entrance tickets to the Hermitage are already included in the price of the trip!
Tour of the Hermitage
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