"A wonderful woman, best friend, incomparable character, all this I lost with my angel Katerina Alekseevna!" - So wrote in a letter to his brother Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov after the death of his wife. The Count’s family union was short-lived and lasted only "three years of cloudless happiness, which passed in an instant."
early years
Ekaterina Vorontsova was born into the family of the illustrious military commander Alexei Naumovich Senyavin and his wife Anna-Elizabeth von Brade. The girl’s father earned respect in the navy, he took part in the war with Turkey, revived the Azov flotilla, the task of which was active operations in the Black Sea, and was also known for its work on the restoration of Taganrog. He began his service with the rank of midshipman, and completed his military career with the rank of vice admiral, and was awarded many Russian awards of that time.
The exact date of birth of Catherine is unknown, but historians most often call 1761. In their youth, all four daughters of Senyavin came in maids of honor to Empress Catherine II and became a decoration of the courtyard. The sisters were about the same age, all of them were distinguished by beauty and grace, therefore they were often called "nymphs". A special love of the sovereign enjoyed the younger Catherine.
The girl had many fans, but she was interested in Semyon Vorontsov. The 35-year-old Count was distinguished by his talent and roguish character, capable of much for the sake of a career. First, he complained to Orlov, and then to Potemkin in the hope of getting a legal post.
The desire to alienate him from the court and the connection between the maid of honor Senyavina and Count Vorontsov pushed the empress to give their consent to their marriage. The engagement took place in 1870. The choice of Semyon, who fell on such a worthy party, evoked warm approval from his relatives. To celebrate, the father of the groom was ready to give the newlyweds a house, summer cottages on the seashore and a factory that brings good income. In addition, he promised to provide all kinds of help to the new family.
Marriage
In 1871, their wedding took place in Murino and a happy family life began. They spent the first month of marriage in the family home and soon returned to St. Petersburg. A year later, the first-born Michael, the imperial godson, appeared in the family, and a year later the daughter Catherine was born. Vorontsov was completely absorbed in caring for children, and sometimes this happened even to the detriment of her own health. She fed her children with her own hands, carried them in her arms, and, when they were unwell, many times got up to the patient’s bed. She tried not to part with her son and daughter for a minute, the children gave the countess "happiness and joy."
Trip abroad
In 1783, Count Vorontsov was appointed plenipotentiary minister to Venice. Together with his wife and heirs, he went to Italy. The conditions where they were settled seemed terrifying, there was no comfort. Winter was met by severe cold and frozen canals, and the house, where there were only walls, did not even have strong window frames and room heating. This immediately affected the countess's already poor health. In the first months after moving her, she had frequent ailments - the first signs of developing consumption.
Life in Venice was very expensive, in addition to this, the climate was unfavorable for the wife. These circumstances forced Vorontsov to repeatedly appeal to Petersburg with a request to end his mission. After a while, a joyful response came from the capital that the count was being transferred to England. The family began to gather for departure to London. But the Countess's disease progressed and reached its critical point in the summer of 1784.
Instead of moving to a new destination in a new country, the family moved to Pisa, where the climate was considered more favorable. At some point, Catherine felt better, it seemed that the disease receded. Brushing tears from her eyes, she told her husband that "God would have been too cruel if he had torn us apart." As it turned out, the hope was in vain. August 25, 1784 Vorontsova died. The grave loss made the count "completely unhappy", a future life without a woman he loved seemed to him a real hell and "eternal suffering." For a long time he could not come to his senses and get to work.
The ashes of Ekaterina Vorontsova was laid to rest in Italy. The husband dreamed of interrupting her remains in the family estate of Murino near St. Petersburg near the church of St. Catherine, which he soon built in memory of the departed wife. Later he wanted to be buried next to his wife. But fate decreed otherwise, and the count met his death in England. In this country, he spent more than two decades and lived to an advanced age. At the burial place of Catherine in Venice, on the day of her repose, Vorontsov held memorial services annually.
