ELIZABETH PETROVNA

Elizabeth Petrovna, the younger daughter of Peter the Great, came to power in a military coup which ousted the infant Ivan VI. She created a brilliant court and superintended a renaissance of Russian arts. She founded the University of Moscow and the Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg and built the Winter Palace. She made war with Sweden, 1741-43, which came to a successful conclusion with the Treaty of Abö and plunged Russia into the Seven Year's War (1756-63), motivated by dislike of Frederick II, the Great. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was quick to remove German influence in the Council and at Court. Curiously, however, in spite of her many talents, documents often remained unsigned, as here, for many months.Examples of her autograph are exceptionally rare.