Is “Bironovism” so terrible, as the textbooks say, or is Anna Ioannovna's regime deservedly called bloody?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The era of Anna Ioannovna's reign (1730s-40s) is usually called "Bironovschina". This is due to the fact that at that time the favorite of the Empress Ernst Biron was in charge of all state affairs. Historians associate "Bironovschina" with regular repressions, increased investigations, bloody massacres and clumsy rule of the country. But was the regime of Anna's rule more harsh against the background of what happened in Russia under Peter the Great and Catherine the Great? There is an opinion that in many respects this topic was promoted by subsequent rulers for their own benefit. And Ernst Biron is just a "scapegoat".

Tyranny and the bloody regime of the empress

According to the most widespread version, the immense power of her favorite, the Duke of Courland Biron, gave the sad glory to the reign of Anna Ioannovna. From the age of 28, this man faithfully served the daughter of Tsar Ivan V. When the Duchess of Courland was offered the Russian crown, freed after the death of Peter II, the assistant and, in combination, the lover followed Anna to Russia.

Biron is called the legislator of the infamous Secret Chancellery. Thousands of people passed through her torture chambers. Police agents were looking for potential suspects in taverns and simply crowded places, eavesdropping on conversations and for every carelessly dropped word dragged people to the casemates. For nearly ten years, at least 20 thousand convicts were exiled to Siberia alone, and nothing is known about the further fate of a fourth of them.

Embezzlement and the luxurious life of the courtyard

A distinctive feature of "Bironovschina" is also called the self-elimination of Anna Ioannovna from ruling the state with the dominance of temporary workers. Such an irresponsible approach to personnel policy resulted in the actual plundering of state wealth, brutal extrajudicial persecution of dissenters, a widespread espionage system and general denunciation. Corruption and embezzlement became commonplace, and the cost of maintaining the imperial court, with all the favorites and close associates, grew inexorably. The country confidently plunged into an economic crisis, until by 1731 the treasury was completely empty. The acute question of the search for finances arose.

As a result, arrears began to be squeezed out of ordinary citizens and peasants. At the same time, repressions intensified, because the property of the convicts was automatically transferred to the state's disposal. Another method of short-sighted replenishment of the state budget was the sale of rights to extract unique natural resources in Russia.

Was there a German influence?

Another feature of the "Bironovschina" is considered to be a large number of foreigners, mostly Germans, in responsible government posts. Some historians consider this to be almost the main reason for the current circumstances. But in fairness it is worth remembering that the policy of the Russian government to attract foreigners to government agencies only continued the approaches of the previous reigns. At the same time, immigrants from the Russian nobility still occupied the lion's share of the highest state seats. Formed in 1731, the Cabinet of Ministers, the most authoritative body of government, originally consisted of only one German Osterman as vice-chancellor and two Russian chancellors Golovkin and Cherkassky. Therefore, it would be one-sided and biased to blame only foreigners for sabotage on a national scale.

Russian officials can fully share responsibility for all excesses of the Bironovschina regime. Suffice it to say that officially the Secret Chancellery was completely controlled by the Russian Andrei Ushakov, who at that time was the five most influential persons of the empire. Ushakov was a man of Peter the Great, whose regime was in no way inferior to the "Bironovschina" in terms of bloodiness and cruelty.

Another indicator that no one neglected the Russian nobility is the number of army generals. In 1729 (before Anna came to power), out of 71 generals, 41 were of foreign origin (58%). And already in 1738, foreigners accounted for less than half. It was during the Bironov period that the rights of Russian and foreign officers were equalized in the tsarist army. While under Peter the Great, there were some preferences, and foreign officers were awarded double salaries. It is interesting that the commander of the army, Field Marshal of German origin Burkhard Munnich decided to cancel such a decree. In addition, it was Minich who banned the hiring of foreign officers from 1732.

Influence of Biron or is it still a cruel era?

Alexander Pushkin expressed the opinion that all the stones flew to Biron only because he turned out to be a German. The Russian classic admitted that the blame fell on the imperial favorite undeservedly, and all the so-called horrors of the reign of Anna Ioannovna were quite "in the spirit of the times and in the mores of the people." This view is echoed by a significant part of modern historians, who argue that Biron, with all the existing shortcomings, did not thirst for blood, and resorted to violence only in cases of extreme necessity.

In the Russian Empire of those years, powerlessness, executions, repression and various levels of punishment did become more frequent. But the role of Biron in this matter is clearly exaggerated. One of the myths today sees the negative influence of the favorite on Anna, which awakened base feelings. Eyewitnesses of that era saw not the best character traits in the empress herself. It happened that Anna Ioannovna killed 4 hundred hares and 500 ducks with a manic passion in one hunting season. And the other fun of the empress was the jesters' fights, which brought her into the deepest delight.

But nevertheless, in terms of the volume of repressions, the reign of Anna Ioannovna is not even close to what happened a decade earlier - in the Peter's era. It is no secret that Peter's passion for various executions with tricks and violence. What is the only case with his own son, Tsarevich Alexei, whom the sovereign father tortured to death. But at the same time, Ivan the Terrible remains a child-killer in the minds of most people, Biron is considered to be a tyrant who has intoxicated the empress, and Peter I is traditionally presented as a pro-European reformer.

Well, the German relatives of Peter the Great tried to take over control of the country. But they could not take possession of Russia, which ended in tragedy for them.