The cause of all his misfortunes was his own sluggishness and the presence of a brother who was lucky in love. For the sins of the latter, many aristocrats sought to recover from our hero.
Relatives do not always bring good luck. Even if they do not harbor evil and are ready to help, their adventures can come back to haunt with big problems. The brother of the Empress's favorite stayed away from the powerful. This did not save him - people like to take revenge on the weak.
Childhood
The nobleman Alexander Zubov was the manager of the estate of Count Nikolai Saltykov. The latter was a rare scoundrel, because all his friends in the world were perceived as adventurers. The bad reputation of a poor aristocrat was compensated by happiness in his personal life - he had a beloved wife and six children.
Dima was born in May 1764. Parents were engaged in the upbringing and education of their heirs, hoping that they would make a career at court. Unlike his younger brother Plato, our hero did not have enough stars from the sky. He had mediocre success in all sciences. The boy's good health and high growth allowed him to hope that he would show himself in military service.
Youth
Perhaps the boy could have shown valor on the battlefield, to rise to the rank of general, but for this he had to risk his life. Papa and mama could not allow their son to go to the front. They asked their benefactor Saltykov to find a warm place for Dmitry. The tall young man was perfect for the guard, he was enrolled in the cavalry regiment.
Parades and the protection of the Empress's chambers made it possible to make the necessary acquaintances, but the sluggish Dima still felt like a guest in the capital. His service required significant financial investments, his father was indignant, saving on the maintenance of the rest of the children. Plato, having arrived in St. Petersburg, was in dire need of money, but did not ask his brother for help. He found himself a job - giving concerts. For his entrepreneurial spirit, he was chosen by the intriguer Saltykov to play the role of the empress's new lover.
Favorite brother
In 1789, the younger brother of our hero was granted the rank of Major General and Adjutant Wing of Catherine II. Dmitry immediately became a chamber junker. The relatives settled in the chambers of the Catherine Palace, where the former favorites had previously lived. The lucky lover tried his best to entertain his far from young girlfriend, his brother helped him to invent entertainment. The creativity of these two was enough only for flying kites, lush hunting trips and acquiring a trained monkey.
The Empress noted that Dima was more stupid than Plato, therefore she decided to find him an intelligent wife, for whom they would give a rich inheritance. The prettiest and smartest daughter of Prosecutor General Alexander Vyazemsky Praskovya was chosen for the role of the bride. Immediately after the engagement, the girl became a maid of honor. She was really smart, because she insisted that the wedding was not held in St. Petersburg. Dmitry was not at all against this. The celebration took place in 1790.
Takeoff and crash
Ekaterina Alekseevna was flattered that a young officer was in love with her. She remembered that the century of life was short, therefore she strove to give him and his family everything that could provide them in the future. In 1793, she asked the Holy Roman Emperor Franz II to elevate Alexander Zubov and his sons to the rank of count. Dmitry was very happy about this - three children were already growing up in his family. In 1795 he received another present - the rank of major general, and the following year he was enlisted in the civil service.
The happy days ended in 1796 when the empress died. Shortly before this, the Zubovs were awarded the princely title, and all the envious people of the former favorite unleashed their rage on the members of this family. Sly Praskovya hid her husband from trouble in her family estate. Plato suggested that his brother join the conspiracy against the emperor Paul, but prudence did not disappoint Dmitry, he refused to participate in the adventure.
Devastation
The accession of Alexander I inspired our hero to heroic deeds. The head of the family, where there were already six children, decided to increase wealth. In 1806 Dmitry Zubov arrived in Moscow and started looking for business partners. Soon an official who was involved in collecting taxes approached him. He invited the novice businessman to participate in the auction and collect the rent. The landowner made a contribution to the future well-being by giving to his mistress.
Things went badly for the aspiring businessman right away. Such important persons as the widow of Gabriel Derzhavin, relatives of Grigory Potemkin, the famous brawler Sofia Pototskaya, sued him. This galaxy of nobles of the Catherine era tried to hit the bearer of the hated surname harder. Revenge was a success - Dmitry Alexandrovich was literally ruined. The sorrowful work was completed by the invasion of Napoleon. The real estate that the prince acquired in Moscow burned down.
last years of life
In search of the truth, Dmitry Zubov met with the Freemasons. In 1807 he joined the Three Luminaries Lodge. There he held high positions, having achieved recognition on his own for the only time in his biography. Among lovers of esotericism, the aristocrat found consolation, distracted from pressing problems.
The Zubovs were allowed to escape complete poverty by their descendants. The four daughters successfully married and, having inherited prudence from their mother, economically managed the household and helped their parents. In 1822 Plato died, bequeathed everything to his brother. Dmitry died in 1836.
