The Coinage of Empress Anna, 1730-1740
THE DEATH OF Russian Czar Fedor Alexievich in 1682 created a vacuum, in which rival claimants fought for power. His sister Sophia, unable to become ruler because she was a woman, staged a coup d’etat and put her brothers Ivan and Peter on the throne as puppet czars. Peter I staged his own revolt in 1689, but asked his brother Ivan to stay on as co-czar. Ivan V, sick in both mind and body, was merely window dressing and the real power lay with Peter.
Unlike some feudal societies Sophia did not suffer greatly after her fall from power. She was, however, given long-term lodgings in a convent, effectively removing her from any role in the government.
Ivan died in 1696, leaving three daughters: Catherine, Anna, and Praskovaya. All were raised by family members under the direction of Peter I, who had been genuinely fond of his late brother. Anna’s principal tutor was Johann Ostermann, a strong believer in absolute monarchy; she grew up to be reasonably well-educated.
Peter wished to integrate his family, the Romanovs, into the broad circle of European royalty but was not all that successful. He generally had to be content with minor German princesses or princes for marriages, as the case might be. For Anna Ivanovna (Anna, daughter of Ivan) negotiations took some time but
