Anna Petrovna
| Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna | |
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| Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp Tsesarevna of Russia |
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Portrait by Ivan Nikitin
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| Born |
27 January 1708 Moscow, Empire of All the Russias |
| Died | 4 March 1728 (aged 20) Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |
| Burial | Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation |
| Spouse | Charles Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp |
| Issue | Peter III of Russia |
| House | Romanov |
| Father | Peter I of Russia |
| Mother | Catherine I of Russia |
Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Tsesarevna of Russia ( Anna Petrovna Romanova Russian: Анна Петровна; 27 January 1708, in Moscow – 4 March 1728, in Kiel) was the elder daughter of Emperor Peter I of Russia and Empress Catherine I of Russia. Her sister, Elizabeth of Russia, ruled as Empress between 1741 and 1762. While a potential heir in the reign of her father and her mother, she never acceded to the throne due to political reasons. However, her son Peter would rule as Emperor in 1762, succeeding Elizabeth. She was the Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp by marriage.
Anna was born out of wedlock, although her parents were married in 1712 and she was later legitimized. Her earlier illegitimacy would pose great challenges for her marriage.
Anna grew up in the houses of Peter’s younger sister Natalia and Prince Alexander Menshikov. Although born illegitimate, she and her younger sister Elizabeth were awarded the titles of “princess” (tsarevna) on 6 March 1711 and “crown princess” (tsesarevna) on 23 December 1721.
Peter planned to marry his daughters to foreign princes in order to gain European allies for the Russian Empire. The two girls were educated with this aim in mind, learning literature, writing, embroidery, dancing and etiquette. Anna developed into an intelligent, well-read girl who spoke four foreign languages – French, German, Italian and Swedish.
Anna’s modesty and shyness were evident at an early age. One witness describes the amusing hitch that once occurred during the traditional exchanging of Easter kisses. When the duke of Holstein-Gottorp tried to kiss the fourteen-year-old Anna, she turned bright red in embarrassment, while her younger sister “immediately stuck out her little pink mouth for a kiss.”
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Wikipedia