“In Huev$ for Catherine,” says Segur, “they built a spacious, elegant and richly decorated palace. She received in it the clergy, government officials, representatives of the nobility, merchants and foreigners who came in droves to Kev, where they were attracted by the grandeur and the news of the sight awaiting them here. In fact dflf, I imagined a great court, a defamatory empress, a rich and warlike aristocracy, princes and nobles, proud and luxurious, merchants in long caftans, with huge beards, officers in various uniforms, famous Don Cossacks in rich Azatian attire, Tatars, and sometimes rulers Russia, now subjects, women and Christians, Prince Georgian, who brought tribute from Phasis and Colchis to the throne of Catherine, many ambassadors from countless hordes of Kirghiz, and finally, wild Kalmyks, a real likeness of the Huns... The whole East gathered here to see the new Semiramis, collecting tribute to the surprise of the world. monarchs of the West. It was some kind of magical sight, where it seemed that antiquity was combined with newness, enlightenment with barbarism, where the contrast of morals, faces, and clothes of the most diverse variety was striking.”
Many Polish gentlemen appeared in Kev, “The Poles,” Segur says, “appeared in crowds, of course, more out of fear than out of affection for the rulers of the North” (the first partition of Poland “then had already taken place and a new, second section was brewing). “Half of Poland is here,” Catherine wrote to Grimm. The French also appeared, the Cavalier Lamette and Count Dillon; The hero of the American War of Independence, Laeyet, "also announced his intention to appear at Catherine's court, but since he was chosen as a member of the assembly of government officials, he could not fulfill his intention. The Empress regretted this; she really wanted to get to know him."
Profit v Kev prince de Ligne; He went to Vienna and took Tosifa P along his travel route. The brilliant society that had gathered in Kev amazed the prince, and he wrote to his hiding-marquis: "My God! what noise! what variety! What a variety of diamonds, gold and orders! How many necklaces, ribbons, turbans, and beautiful hats, low or high, and pointed. Louis XU would have envied his sisters Catherine in many ways." For example, the sons of the Caucasian king Heraclius would give him much more pleasure than five or six elderly gentlemen of St. Louis. Now they want to invite me to the fireworks, which, as they say, cost more than 40 thousand rubles.
The number of foreigners amazed the empress. “What a crowd!” she wrote to Grimm. “I have never seen anything like this.” In other letters she wrote: "Every day guests arrive here, not only from the surrounding people, but also from all sunflower nations. Just name the people, and we will present them in person."
tsakh. I haven’t seen so much since I was a child, although I’m used to TRAVELS: CATHERINE AND THE CRIMEA. 4
see our different ones. We have here 4 grandees d’Espagne, countless imperial princes, countless Poles, English, Americans, French, Germans, Swiss; you can’t read their names on many pages; I’ve never seen so many foreign speakers in a long time - even the Kyrgyz and T ended up here, and everyone lives in Seshchev’s huts, and it’s not clear how they fit in. It's hard to guess what. they were attracted to Kev. It cannot be assumed that they were all deceived by some newspapers, which with all their might announced my future coronation in Tauris or here, which I never thought about.”
The life of the court in Kev was just as noisy and fun as in Tsarskoye Selo: balls, meetings, masquerades began again as soon as Lent ended. It was especially solemnly celebrated (Bright Matins. “The courtyard was extremely magnificent,” wrote an eyewitness: “This greatly amazed everyone, especially at Matins, in the Pechersk Lavra.” In the more shadowy circle, where only a select few were allowed, there was always the usual joy. “Once or twice a week,” they say Segur, the empress had a meeting at the court and gave a big ball or a wonderful concert. On other days, her table was set for 8 or 10 hours. Three ambassadors who accompanied her were her regular guests, also the Prince de Ligne and sometimes the Prince of Nassau, we always spent evenings with her; at this time she did not tolerate coercion and etiquette; a kind woman. At these evenings they told stories, played biltarl, and talked about literature.