Anna Ioanovna, Empress (1693-1740)

Categories / Capital/Personalia
ANNA IOANNOVNA (1693-1740, St. Petersburg), Empress (from 1730). The daughter of Tsar Ivan V, niece of Tsar Peter the Great. In 1710, she married Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Courland, and within two months she was widowed. In 1710-30, she became Princess of Courland, lived in Mitau (today Jelgava, Latvia). After taking the Russian throne, she suppressed an attempt by the aristocratic opposition to limit autocracy. During Anna Ioannovna's reign, there was a stabilization of internal affairs in Russia, which had been shaken by Peter the Great's reforms. Economy and trade developed intensively. In foreign affairs Anna Ioannovna was orientated towards a union with Austria to reinforce Russian influence in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and on the war with Turkey. In 1732, Anna Ioannovna brought the Imperial Court and high state institutions back to St. Petersburg from Moscow (where they had been situated since 1728). She formed the Izmailovsky and Konny Life Guard Regiments. Under Anna Ioannovna, a systematic program of city development took place, including cobbling and building stone structures directed by the St. Petersburg Building Office, the Peter and Paul Fortress stone reconstruction was finished, the construction of the SS. Peter&Paul Cathedral, the Twelve Colleges Building, and others. Theatre and music evolved, the Russian ballet and Choir were founded. In St. Petersburg, Anna Ioannovna initially lived in the Palace of Count F.M. Apraksin, and then in the third Winter Palace (see Winter Palaces), in summer she preferred to live in Peterhof. In autumn she lived in one of the Summer Palaces of the Summer Garden, where she died. Her burial took place at the SS. Peter&Paul Cathedral.

References: Анисимов Е. В. Россия без Петра, 1725-1740. СПб., 1994; Беспятых Ю. Н. Петербург Анны Иоанновны в иностранных описаниях: Введение. Тексты. Комментарии. СПб., 1997; Петрухинцев Н. Н. Царствование Анны Иоанновны: формирование внутриполит. курса и судьбы армии и флота 1730-1735 г. СПб., 2001.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Anisimov Evgeny Viktorovich
Anna Ioannovna, Empress
Apraksin Fedor Matveevich
Bespyatyh Yury Nikolaevich
Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke
Ivan V Alexeevich, Tsar
Peter I, Emperor
Анисимов Е. В. Россия без Петра, 1725-1740. СПб., 1994
Беспятых Ю. Н. Петербург Анны Иоанновны в иностранных описаниях: Введение. Тексты. Комментарии. СПб., 1997
Петрухинцев Н. Н. Царствование Анны Иоанновны: формирование внутриполит. курса и судьбы армии и флота 1730-1735 г. СПб., 2001 Izmaylovsky Life Guards Regiment
Cavalry Life Guards Regiment
Building Office
St. Peter and Paul fortress
St. Peter and Paul fortress
SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral
Twelve Collegiums Building
Winter Palaces
1730
1732
1740