Императрица и ее генерал-прокурор (материалы к биографии князя А. А. Вяземского)

Quaestio Rossica. 2026. Т. 14. № 3. С. 939–959.

Kamenskii A. B.

This article examines one of the significant figures in the system of governance of Russia during the reign of Catherine II: Prince Alexander Alekseevich Vyazemsky, Prosecutor General of the Senate, who held this post for approximately thirty years. During this period, the scope of his activities continually expanded to encompass the administration of finances; various construction projects; the Legislative Commission; personnel policy concerning government officials; supervision of the political investigation agencies, including the organization of major trials; the administration of the Chancellery of Foreign Guardianship; prosecutorial supervision; and other areas. To date, however, neither a scholarly biography of Vyazemsky nor any specialized studies of his official activities exist. Assessments of both his service and his personality generally rely on stereotypical characterizations that can be traced back to the opinions expressed by his contemporaries. Extensive archival material, including the administrative records of various government departments, projects, and the Prosecutor General’s official and personal correspondence, remains unused. Based on an analysis of Vyazemsky’s correspondence with the empress and her Cabinet Secretaries, who served as channels of communication between them, the article attempts to  reconstruct the nature of their relationship. This may provide a starting point for a study aimed at an adequate assessment of Vyazemsky as a statesman, his place and role in Russia’s political system in the second half of the eighteenth century, and his contribution to the implementation of Catherine II’s domestic policy. The article raises the question of why, when selecting a candidate for the position of Prosecutor General, the empress chose Vyazemsky in particular, and what qualities enabled him to become her confidant and remain so throughout his tenure in office.

Keywords: государственная служба, Екатерина II, внутренняя политика России, Эпистолярия, князь А. А. Вяземский, официальная и неофициальная переписка, Эпистолярное наследие

Publication based on the results of: Интерактивная карта «Москва в середине XVIII века» (2025)