Grigory Grigorievich Orlov, the illustrious prince, received this title in 1762. He was a general field marshal and the chief commander of artillery in the Russian army, as well as the favorite of Empress Catherine the Great. Orlov owned the Marble and Gatchina palaces in St. Petersburg.

The Orlov Family

There is an interesting legend about the origin of the Orlov family and how they got their surname. In 1689, a soldier named Ivan, who participated in the Streltsy uprising, was known for his strength and courage, earning him the nickname "The Eagle." Although all participants in the uprising were sentenced to death, Ivan escaped it and received forgiveness from the Sovereign. As he was being led to the scaffold, the severed head of the previous executed man rolled at his feet. Ivan kicked it away and placed his head under the axe. The Tsar was struck by his fearlessness and pardoned him.

Ivan was the grandfather of five handsome Orlov brothers, guardsmen. Before his death, he bequeathed to them to stick together: "Ivan, the cleverest and eldest, will be like a father to you. Grigory, the most beautiful. Alyosha, the strongest and most unruly, has no caution in him, he can fell a bull with one punch between the horns. Fedya and Vladimir, the youngest, must be loyal to the elders. Together you are one soul and one head. As long as you stick together, no one can break you!"

Grigory Orlov, the second among the brothers, captivated even Empress Catherine II with his beauty. He was born on October 17, 1734, in the Tver province in the village of Lyutkino, where his father's ancestral estate was located, his father being Grigory Ivanovich Orlov, a military and state figure of the Russian Empire.

His father married at an older age, while their mother, Lukerya Ivanovna Zinovyeva, was almost three times younger than her husband. In ten years, she gave birth to six sons, one of whom, Mikhail, died in infancy.

Childhood and Youth

The Orlov brothers were close not only by blood but also in spirit, thanks to their father's positive influence and a happy childhood. Grigory Ivanovich did not allow quarrels or disputes in the family, teaching his sons mutual assistance and brotherly support. Many of the Orlovs' friends noted how warm and close the relationships were among the brothers. Everything was considered common: wallets, income, and expenses.

Their father provided them with home education, paying special attention to military affairs and physical training. The brothers stood out from their peers with their agility, stature, and height. Grigory Orlov was indifferent to other sciences, knowing only the Russian language. Catherine II later reproached him for his lack of education, saying he did not understand French poetry.

However, nature endowed him with an attractive appearance, a kind heart, and a soulful nature. Catherine called him a wonderful being and the most beautiful man of that time. Grigory was kind and responsive, always ready to help and provide patronage. He was generous to the point of extravagance and trusting to the point of recklessness, often revealing what should not have been disclosed, which made him seem less intelligent.

Military Service

In 1749, when Grigory turned fifteen, his father took him, Ivan, and Alexei to St. Petersburg and enrolled them in the land cadet corps. After training, Ivan joined the Preobrazhensky regiment, while Grigory and Alexei joined the elite Semenovsky Life Guards regiment.

In 1757, after becoming an officer, Grigory participated in the Seven Years' War, receiving three wounds in the battles at Zorndorf but did not leave the battlefield, earning a reputation as a brave man.

In 1759, Orlov was transferred to the capital's artillery regiment. In St. Petersburg, he caught the attention of General Field Marshal Count Shuvalov Pyotr Ivanovich, who took him as an aide-de-camp. Grigory became famous in the capital for his revelries and romantic escapades.

Shuvalov soon regretted his decision, as Orlov began an affair with Princess Kurakina, the beloved of Pyotr Ivanovich. Grigory was dismissed and transferred to another regiment, where he caught the eye of the future empress, who had already heard about his romances.

Involvement in the Palace Coup

Grigory Orlov captivated Catherine Alexeyevna, and she was also infatuated with him. Their romance led not only to the birth of their illegitimate son Alexei but also to the coup that brought Catherine to the throne. The Orlov brothers became her allies in the struggle for power.

In December 1761, Peter III became the Russian emperor, and Catherine's position became dangerous. He treated her roughly and planned to divorce her to marry Elizaveta Vorontsova. Peter III's actions caused discontent among the officer corps. He showed disrespect towards the Russian Orthodox Church and concluded an unfavorable peace treaty with Prussia.

Catherine acted quickly. The Orlov brothers were the first to support her and began persuading soldiers and officers to join the coup. Their words were trusted, as they were known to be respectable men. Catherine was portrayed as a martyr concerned for Russia's future, while Peter III's behavior only strengthened the conspirators' doubts. The nobility and gentry supported the change of power, and the military participated in it.

The coup took place on June 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum. In St. Petersburg, Catherine announced the impending danger to the Russian arms and the Orthodox faith. The guards were the first to swear allegiance to her, followed by the Senate, the Synod, and the populace.

Peter III signed his abdication. The Orlov brothers helped to finally remove him. Officially, he died of hemorrhoidal colic, but unofficially, it was reported that Alexei Orlov strangled him.

The Would-Be Emperor

After the coup, Catherine settled in the Winter Palace, allocating a room for Grigory, although he had his own residence in St. Petersburg. He was also granted Ropsha and Gatchina.

Orlov felt almost like an emperor, as Catherine promised to marry him. The brothers insisted on the wedding and the recognition of their son Alexei as the heir to the throne.

It is unknown why Catherine changed her mind about marrying. Perhaps she was dissuaded by statesmen or became disillusioned with her favorite. Rumors of her intention to marry the murderer of Peter III caused unrest. She refused Grigory's marriage proposal, explaining that she loved him, but marriage would doom them to Peter's fate.

Although the marriage did not take place, Catherine did not mistreat Grigory. He participated in state affairs, was interested in philosophy, science, and art, and patronized Lomonosov. After the scholar's death, Orlov preserved his works.

Over time, quarrels arose more frequently between the lovers, after which Orlov would go hunting. Their passion waned, aided by his flirtations with other ladies. Catherine also found a new favorite, Grigory Potemkin.

In 1771, Catherine sent Orlov to Moscow, where a plague epidemic had broken out. He acted effectively, and the epidemic was quelled, for which he received awards from Catherine. However, the place of the favorite already belonged to Potemkin, and Orlov lost influence over the empress.

In the fall of 1772, he was sent abroad for health recovery.

Personal Life

Having become unnecessary to the empress, Orlov married his niece Ekaterina Zinovyeva at the age of 43, who was 18 years old. The church initially opposed the marriage, as Ekaterina was an orphan and under her uncle's guardianship. Rumors claimed that Orlov had raped her, but she declared mutual love. Catherine II allowed the marriage, and in 1777, Orlov married.

The marriage was happy, and Grigory forgot about his previous escapades, spending time with his wife. However, Ekaterina fell ill with tuberculosis, and in 1780, they went to Switzerland for treatment. She hoped to become pregnant, but in the summer of 1781, she died in Lausanne.

Death

After his wife's death, Orlov regressed to a childlike state. In the fall of 1781, his brothers moved him to Moscow to the estate of Neskuchnoye. The doctors could not help, and he slowly faded away. Platon confessed and communed him on April 10, 1783. On the night of April 13, Orlov passed away.

On April 17, he was buried, with his brothers carrying the coffin. Grigory was mourned in the Don Monastery and buried in the Serpukhov district in the village of Otradnoye. In 1832, his remains were reburied in the Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod. To this day, these burials have not survived.

Grigory's illegitimate son, born to Ekaterina in 1762, became the progenitor of the noble family of Bobrinskys. He lived for 51 years and had four children in marriage to Baroness Anna Ungern-Sternberg.