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Anna MonsFavorite of Peter I
Date of Birth: 26.01.1672
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Biography of Anna Mons
- Meeting Peter I
- Life as the Favorite
- Correspondence and Gifts
- Marriage and Legal Battles
- Later Life and Death
Biography of Anna Mons
Anna Mons, also known as Anna Margareta, was born on January 26, 1672 or 1675. She was the youngest daughter of the Mons family and grew up in the German settlement. Anna Mons was considered one of the most beautiful young women in the German settlement.
Meeting Peter I
Anna Mons first met Peter I, also known as Peter the Great, around 1690 through F.Ya. Lefort. Their relationship was kept secret as it was punishable by severe consequences to disclose their connection. Despite this, Anna Mons became the favorite of the ruler.
Life as the Favorite
As Peter I's favorite, Anna Mons attended all the royal feasts and events. On August 25, 1698, Peter I visited Anna Ivanovna's house upon his return from abroad. Then, on September 3, he sent his wife, Queen Evdokia Feodorovna, to the Suzdal Pokrovsky Monastery. On January 26, 1699, Anna celebrated her birthday, and Peter I was present at the celebration held at her mother's house.
Correspondence and Gifts
Anna Mons wrote personal letters to Peter I in German or occasionally in Dutch, while a secretary wrote the Russian texts under her dictation. Peter I generously showered Anna with gifts, including valuable clothing and jewelry. Among these gifts was a miniature portrait of the ruler adorned with diamonds worth 1,000 rubles. He also funded the construction of a stone house in the German settlement near the new Lutheran church.
Marriage and Legal Battles
Peter I provided Anna and her mother with an annual pension of 708 rubles. In January 1703, he granted her the Dudinskaya volost in the Kozelsk district, including 295 villages, as her estate. However, Anna's life took a turn when the accidental death of Saxon envoy F. Kenigsek in April 1703 revealed love letters from Anna. This incident led to her disgrace and she was placed under house arrest.
In April 1706, thanks to the assistance of Prussian envoy Georg Johann von Keyserling, who intended to marry Anna Mons, her house arrest was lifted by a decree from the Tsar. However, in the same year, Anna was accused of witchcraft, supposedly aiming to regain the attention of the ruler. Around 30 people were arrested in connection with her case, and the house gifted to her by Peter I was confiscated.
Later Life and Death
In 1710, Anna Mons received permission to marry Keyserling, and their wedding took place on June 18, 1711, in the German settlement. Unfortunately, Keyserling passed away on December 11 (according to some sources, September 5) while en route to Berlin. For the next three years, Anna fought legal battles for her husband's Kurland estate and her belongings, including the "diamond portrait" of Peter I, which were in possession of her late husband's older brother, a marshal of the Prussian court.
In March 1714, Anna Ivanovna won the legal battles and gained control over her late husband's estate. By this time, she was engaged to a Swedish army captain, Karl von Miller, who resided in the German settlement. Anna Ivanovna passed away from consumption and was buried in the Evangelical Lutheran cemetery. The fate of her son and daughter from her marriage to Keyserling remains unknown.
