Ekaterina Chernysheva (russian: Екатерина Андреевна Чернышёва; 1715-1779) was a Russian courtier. She was the daughter of Andrey Ushakov and married the diplomat count

Peter Chernyshev Count Piotr Grigoryevich Chernyshev (; 24 March 1712 – 20 August 1773) was a Russian Imperial nobleman, diplomat, privy counsellor, chamberlain, and senator. A member of the Chernyshyov family, he was the son of (1672-1745) and Avdotya Rzhevsk ...

, Russian ambassador to Denmark, Prussia, England and France, and was the mother of Darya Petrovna Saltykova and

Natalya Golitsyna Princess Natalya Petrovna Golitsyna (; (Чернышёва); 28 January 17411 January 1838) was a Russian nobility, noblewoman, lady-in-waiting, socialite, and Dame (title), Dame of the Order of St. Catherine's first degree. Born into the noble ...

. From 1730 until her marriage in 1738, she served as

maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

Anna of Russia Anna Ioannovna (russian: Анна Иоанновна; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the duchy of Courland from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much ...

. She was a favorite and confidante of

Anna Leopoldovna Anna Leopoldovna (russian: А́нна Леопо́льдовна; 18 December 1718 – 19 March 1746), born Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and also known as Anna Carlovna (А́нна Ка́рловна), was regent of R ...

, which resulted in a demand from the powerful favorite

Ernst Johann von Biron Ernst Johann von Biron (german: Ernst Johann von Biron; russian: link=no, Эрнст Иоганн Бирон; (german: link=no, Bühren); ) was a Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1737–1740 and 1763–1769) and briefly regent of the Russian E ...

that she persuade Anna to refuse a marriage to

Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick Anthony Ulrich (; 28 August 1714, Bevern – 4 May 1774 (O.S.), Kholmogory), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was Generalissimo of the Army of Russia, and the husband of Anna Leopoldovna, who reigned as regent of Russia for one year. Biograph ...

in favor of

Peter von Biron Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last Duke of Courland and Semigallia, from 1769 to 1795. Life and reign Peter was born in Jelgava (german: Mitau) as the oldest son of Ernst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Courl ...

, a task she unsuccessfully tried to achieve.

References

* Русские портреты 18-19 столетий. Т.2. Вып. 4. № 155 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chernysheva, Ekaterina 1715 births 1779 deaths 18th-century women from the Russian Empire Ladies-in-waiting from the Russian Empire Russian royal favourites Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg)