The reason for all his misfortunes was his own sluggishness and the presence of a lucky brother in love. For the sins of the latter, many aristocrats sought to recover from our hero.
Relatives do not always bring luck. Even if they are not evil and are ready to help, their adventures can come across big problems. The brother of the favorite of the Empress stayed away from the powers that be. This did not save him - people like to recoup on the weak.
Childhood
The nobleman Alexander Zubov was the manager on the estate of Count Nikolai Saltykov. The latter was a rare scoundrel, because all his friends in the world were perceived as adventurers. The poor reputation of the poor aristocrat was offset by happiness in his personal life - he had a beloved wife and six children.
Saltykov estate in the suburbs
Dima was born in May 1764. Parents were engaged in the upbringing and education of their heirs, hoping that they would make a career at court. Unlike his younger brother Plato, our hero lacked stars from the sky. He had mediocre successes in all sciences. Good health and high growth of the boy allowed us to hope that he would show himself in military service.
Youth
Perhaps the boy could have shown valor on the battlefield, rose to the rank of general, but for this it was necessary to risk his life. Dad and mom could not allow their son to go to the front. They asked their benefactor Saltykov to find a warm spot for Dmitry. The tall young man was perfectly suited for the guard, he was enrolled in the cavalry guard regiment.
Parades and guarding the sovereign's chambers made it possible to make the necessary acquaintances, but the slow Dima still felt like a guest in the capital. His service required significant financial investments, his father was indignant, he saved on the maintenance of other children. Arriving in St. Petersburg, Plato was in dire need of money, but did not ask his brother for help. He found a job - he gave concerts. For his enterprise, he was elected intriguer Saltykov for the role of the new lover of the Empress.
Favorite brother
In 1789, the younger brother of our hero was granted the rank of Major General and Adjutant Outhouse of Catherine II. Dmitry immediately became a chamber junker. Relatives settled in the chambers of the Catherine Palace, where former favorites had previously inhabited. The successful lover tried his best to entertain his far from young girlfriend, his brother helped him to entertain. The creativity of these two was enough only for launching kites, magnificent hunting trips and the acquisition of a trained monkey.
The empress noted that Dima was more stupid than Plato, therefore, she decided to find him a smart wife, for whom they would give a rich inheritance. For the role of the bride, the prettiest and smartest daughter of the prosecutor general Alexander Vyazemsky Praskovya was elected. Immediately after the engagement, the girl became a maid of honor. She really was smart, so she insisted that the wedding was not held in St. Petersburg. Dmitry was not at all against this. The celebration took place in 1790.
Wife of Dmitry Zubov Praskovya
Takeoff and crash
Ekaterina Alekseevna was flattered that a young officer was in love with her. She remembered that the century of life was short, therefore she strove to give him and his family everything that could provide them in the future. In 1793, she asked the Holy Roman Emperor, Franz II, to elevate Alexander Zubov and his sons to count dignity. Dmitry was very happy about this - three children were already growing up in his family. In 1795, he received another present - the title of Major General, and the following year he was enlisted in the civil service.
Fun days ended in 1796, when the empress died. Shortly before this, the Zubovs were given a princely title, and all the envious persons of the former favorite brought down their fury on the members of this family. The cunning Praskovia hid her husband from trouble in her family estate. Plato offered his brother to join the conspiracy against Emperor Paul, but prudence did not disappoint Dmitry, he refused to participate in an adventure.
Devastation
The accession of Alexander I inspired our hero to exploits. The head of the family, where there were already six children, decided to increase wealth. In 1806, Dmitry Zubov arrived in Moscow and began looking for business partners. Soon he was approached by an official who was involved in collecting taxes. He invited a novice businessman to bid and collect a quitrent. A contribution to the future welfare of the landowner made giving his missus.
Dmitry Alexandrovich Zubov
Things at the beginning businessman immediately went bad. Such important persons sued him as the widow of Gabriel Derzhavin, relatives of Grigory Potemkin, the famous brawler Sofia Pototskaya. This galaxy of nobles of the Catherine era tried to hit a bearer of a hated family more painfully. Revenge was a success - Dmitry Alexandrovich was literally busted. The mournful cause was completed by the invasion of Napoleon. The property that the prince acquired in Moscow burned down.