Stanislaw Poniatowski was a memorable king of Poland and a hand manager for Russia. It was under him that the Commonwealth, in the sense in which it was known, ceased to exist, having undergone partitions. The king himself was also known for the fact that he was connected by a love affair with one of the largest political figures in Russia - Empress Catherine II.
Stanislav Ponyatovsky is of great interest to both historians and ordinary people. And there are many reasons for this. First, he was the last king of Poland. Secondly, many are interested in his romance with the Russian Empress Catherine II. Therefore, many are engaged in the study of the personality and biography of this person.
The childhood of the king
The full name of the future monarch is Stanislav August Poniatowski. He was born on January 17, 1732 in the family of a governor. Moreover, Stanislav was the fourth son. Since childhood, the boy has shown rather high abilities, so his father spared no money or effort so that Ponyatovsky received a good education. By the way, it had a very positive effect in the future on the fate of the young man. When Stanislav was 20 years old, he already served as a deputy in the Polish Sejm. Historians and biographers of famous historical figures note that this position allowed Poniatovsky to develop his oratorical skills and qualities to the fullest.
Political career
When the young man turned 25, he was sent to Russia as the Polish ambassador. As the researchers note, he received this position largely thanks to the connections of his mother. Those who sent the young man to Russia had a very specific plan - they were going to use the situation as leverage in the process of conspiracy against the Saxon Elector Augustus III. However, an enterprising and forward-looking politician has confused these cards. The reason was his affair with Ekaterina Alekseevna, who soon grew into Empress Catherine II.
After the death of King August III, the Czartoryski party nominated Stanislav to the throne of the Commonwealth (as Poland was then called). In 1764 he was elected king. Moreover, it was Catherine who provided him with considerable support.
The young king began his reign quite actively. He began transformations in the treasury, initiated the minting of money, carried out reforms in the army (introduced new types of weapons, replaced the cavalry with infantry). Also, with his support and on his initiative, changes were made in the state reward system, the legislative sphere. He also planned to repeal the law that allowed any member of the Seimas to impose a ban on any decision.
As analysts of the time noted, the young king sought to correct many of the mistakes made by his predecessors. For example, he tried to correct the broken tradition of the coronation. He also established the Order of St. Stanislaus. And this award became the second most important after the highest state award of the entire Rzeczpospolita - the Order of the White Eagle.
At the same time, naturally, people who were dissatisfied with the policy of the young king appeared. Since 1767, dissatisfied with the policy of Poniatovsky, the groupings of the gentry, which were supported by Russia and Prussia, began to unite in the Repninsky Diet. This Diet confirmed the cardinal rights, which guaranteed freedom of the gentry and privileges. In 1772, a civil war broke out, as a result of which the first division of the state took place. In 1791, the Russian-Polish war began, after which the second partition of Poland took place.
In 1795, the uprising of Tadeusz Kosciuszko took place, after which Stanislav Poniatowski left Warsaw and found himself under the supervision of the Russian governor, and soon he signed his abdication altogether. His contribution to the development of the country was tangible, as were the actions that led to the division of the state.
Last years and death
In recent years, Poniatovsky lived in St. Petersburg. His death came suddenly - he died at his residence in the Marble Palace. The funeral of the last king of Poland took place in the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria. Here he was given all military honors. The temple is located on the Nevsky Prospect of St. Petersburg.
In 1938, with Stalin's permission, Stanislav's remains were handed over to the Polish side at the request of the Polish government. And in the same year the king's ashes were transported. He was buried in the Trinity Church in the village of Volchin, 35 km from Brest. Previously, there was the Poniatovsky family estate. After the outbreak of World War II, Volchin was annexed to Belarus, the church was excluded from the number of monuments, and Poniatovsky's grave was plundered.
At the burial site, only pieces of clothing and shoes with a part of the coronation cloak remained. Nobody knows what happened to the body. All that remained of the sovereign's ashes was handed over to the Polish side for repose in the Church of St. John in Warsaw.
An affair with the empress
A separate chapter in the biography of Poniatovsky is his romance with the Russian Empress Catherine II. According to rumors, they even had a child, although they were not husband and wife. Young people met at the ball by chance. The meeting took place in June 1756, when courtiers and diplomats gathered to celebrate the name day of the heir.
Even then, Catherine was a promising figure from a political point of view, so many were eager to seize her attention. Stanislav Ponyatovsky was distinguished by his special beauty, dexterity and elegance. Catherine, too, was still young and fresh. She was only 25 years old, and many called her perfect. The novel developed rapidly. Poniatowski seemed to Ekaterina promising politically as well. Once Ponyatovsky was caught practically at the scene of a crime - when his messenger sneaked into the chambers of the wife of the heir to the throne. After that, he was expelled.
In Russia, events developed quite rapidly - Elizabeth died, her nephew ascended the throne, after the emperor was overthrown, and Catherine reigned on the throne. And here the romance began to decline.
