title: Five Empresses: Court Life in Eighteenth-Century Russia
author: Evgenii V. Anisimov
description: Brimming with intrigue, scandal, mayhem, and murder, the drama of Russian court life is unrivaled by any contemporary soap opera. The eighteenth century was an especially fascinating era in the annals of the Russian empire. During the bulk of the century, both the country and the court were ruled by five powerful czarinas. In addition to advancing their own agendas and protecting their own interests and power bases, these women also had to contend with being female in the primarily male-dominated arena of international politics. Through these five digestible biographies of Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizabeth, and Catherine the Great, the author shines a revealing spotlight on Russian history, culture, and society. <i>Margaret Flanagan</i><br /><i>Copyright  American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
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  * * *
  
  # Childhood
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Leo Tolstoy
  
  
  ##### Translated by CJ Hogarth
  
  
  This page copyright © 2001 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  I. THE TUTOR, KARL IVANITCH
  
  
  II. MAMMA
  
  
  III. PAPA
  
  
  IV. LESSONS
  
  
  V. THE IDIOT
  
  
  VI. PREPARATIONS FOR THE CHASE
  
  
  VII. THE HUNT
  
  
  VIII. WE PLAY GAMES
  
  
  IX. A FIRST ESSAY IN LOVE
  
  
  X. THE SORT OF MAN MY FATHER WAS
  
  
  XI. IN THE DRAWING-ROOM AND THE STUDY
  
  
  XII. GRISHA
  
  
  XIII. NATALIA SAVISHNA
  
  
  XIV. THE PARTING
  
  
  XV. CHILDHOOD
  
  
  XVI. VERSE-MAKING
  
  
  XVII. THE PRINCESS KORNAKOFF
  
  
  XVIII. PRINCE IVAN IVANOVITCH
  
  
  XIX. THE IWINS
  
  
  XX. PREPARATIONS FOR THE PARTY
  
  
  XXI. BEFORE THE MAZURKA
  
  
  XXII. THE MAZURKA
  
  
  XXIII. AFTER THE MAZURKA
  
  
  XXIV. IN BED
  
  
  XXV. THE LETTER
  
  
  XXVI. WHAT AWAITED US AT THE COUNTRY-HOUSE
  
  
  XXVII. GRIEF
  
  
  XXVIII. SAD RECOLLECTIONS
  
  
  
  
  
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  ###
  
  
  I. THE TUTOR, KARL IVANITCH
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  On the 12th of August, 18-- (just three days after my tenth
  
  
  birthday, when I had been