Reign 1740–1741 Name Anna Leopoldovna | Issue
among others... Ivan VI of Russia House House of Mecklenburg | |
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Born 18 December 1718
Rostock ( 1718-12-18 ) Burial Alexander Nevsky Monastery Father Charles Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg Mother Catherine Ivanovna of Russia Religion Lutheranism, then Eastern Orthodox Died March 19, 1746, Kholmogory, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia Spouse Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick (m. 1739) Children Ivan VI of Russia, Alexei Antonovich of Brunswick, Catherine Antonovna of Brunswick Parents Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia Similar People Ivan VI of Russia, Anna of Russia, Ivan V of Russia, Elizabeth of Russia, Karl Leopold - Duke of | ||
Anna Leopoldovna (Russian: ánna Leopól'dovna; 18 December 1718 – 19 March 1746), born as Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and also known as Anna Carlovna (ánna Kárlovna), was regent of Russia for a few months in 1740 and 1741 during the minority of her infant son Emperor Ivan VI.
Contents
Biography
Elisabeth Katharina Christine was the daughter of Catherine, the sister of the Russian empress Anna, and of Karl Leopold, the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Catherine separated from Elisabeth's father and the two escaped to Russia in 1722. Catherine was considered for the imperial throne in 1730 but her sister Anna was chosen instead. In 1733, Elisabeth converted to the Russian Orthodox Church and given the name Anna Leopoldovna, which made her acceptable as an heir to the throne. In 1739, she married Anthony Ulrich (1714–1776), son of Ferdinand Albert, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. He had lived in Russia since 1733 so that she could get to know him.
On 5 October 1740, the empress Anna adopted their newborn son Ivan and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne. On 28 October, just a few weeks after this proclamation, the empress died, leaving directions regarding the succession and appointing her favourite Ernest Biron, Duke of Courland, as regent.
Biron, however, had made himself an object of detestation to the Russian people. After Biron threatened to exile Anna and her spouse to Germany, she had little difficulty working with Munich to overthrow him. The coup succeeded and she assumed the regency on 8 November, taking the title of Grand Duchess. She knew little of the character of the people with whom she had to deal, knew even less of the conventions and politics of Russian government, and speedily quarrelled with her principal supporters.
According to the Dictionary of Russian History, she ordered an investigation of the garment industry when new uniforms received by the military were found to be of inferior quality. When the investigation revealed inhuman conditions she issued decrees mandating a minimum wage and maximum working hours in that industry as well as the establishment of medical facilities at every garment factory.
She also presided over a brilliant victory by Russian forces at the Battle of Villmanstrand in Finland after Sweden had declared war against her Government. She had an influential favourite, Julia von Mengden.
In December of 1741, Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, excited the guards to revolt, having already become a favorite of theirs. The coup overcame the insignificant opposition and was supported by the ambassadors of France and Sweden, owing to the pro-British and pro-Austrian policies of Anna's government.
The victorious regime first imprisoned the family in the fortress of Dunamunde near Riga and then exiled them to Kholmogory on the Northern Dvina river. Anna eventually died on 18 March 1746 during childbirth. Her son Ivan VI was murdered in Shlisselburg on 16 July 1764, while her husband Anthony Ulrich died in Kholmogory on 19 March 1776. Her remaining four children (Ekaterina, Elizaveta, Peter and Alexei) were released from prison into the custody of their aunt, the Danish queen dowager Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, on 30 June 1780 and settled in Jutland, where they lived in comfort under house arrest in Horsens for the rest of their lives under the guardianship of Juliana and at the expense of Catherine the Great: having lived as prisoners, they were not used to social life, and kept a small "court" of 40/50 people, all Danish except for the priest.
Family
Anna Leopoldovna had the following children: