Praskovia Fyodorovna Saltykova (12 October 1664 – 13 October 1723) was the tsaritsa

Tsaritsa

Tsaritsa , formerly spelled czaritsa , is the title of a female autocratic ruler of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife....

 of Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 as the only wife of Ivan V of Russia

Ivan V of Russia

Ivan V Alekseyevich Romanov was a joint Tsar of Russia who co-reigned between 1682 and 1696. He was the youngest son of Alexis I of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya. His reign was only formal, since he had serious physical and mental disabilities...

. She was the mother of Empress Anna of Russia

Anna of Russia

Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...

. She played an important part as the "first lady" of the Russian court in 1698–1712.

Biography

She was daughter of Fyodor Petrovich Saltykov and Anna Mikhailovna Tatishcheva, and was chosen as a bride for Tsar Ivan in the traditional way by selection from a parade before him: the last time this method was used to choose a tsarina in Russia. Ivan V and Praskovia had five daughters. One of them — Anna Ivanovna — would assume the throne in 1730. Another daughter, Catherina, was mother of regent of Russia Anna Leopoldovna

Anna Leopoldovna

Anna Leopoldovna of Russia , also known as Anna Karlovna , regent of Russia for a few months during the minority of her baby son Ivan...

.

Following Ivan V's death, Praskovia began a long affair with the boyar Vassili Yushkov, whom Peter I accepted as a member of his sister's household. Peter's illegitimate daughters Elizabeth (future empress) and Anna

Anna Petrovna of Russia

Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Tsesarevna of Russia was the elder daughter of Emperor Peter I of Russia and Catherine I of Russia. Her sister, Elizabeth of Russia, ruled as Empress between 1741 and 1762. Her son Peter ruled as Emperor in 1762 as Elizabeth's heir...

 (mother of future emperor, Peter III

Peter III of Russia

Peter III was Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762. He was very pro-Prussian, which made him an unpopular leader. He was supposedly assassinated as a result of a conspiracy led by his wife, who succeeded him to the throne as Catherine II.-Early life and character:Peter was born in Kiel, in...

) were also educated at Praskovia's court.

Praskovia Fyodorovna lived as a dowager

Dowager

A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....

 tsarina for a long time after her husband's death in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 and Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

. She had great respect for her brother-in-law emperor Peter I

Peter I of Russia

Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...

 for whom she held an open court in her palace, as Peter had no legal wife

Catherine I of Russia

Catherine I , the second wife of Peter the Great, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death.-Life as a peasant woman:The life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. There are no documents that confirm her origins. Born on...

 at that time, for which reason there was no place to welcome foreign guests: she thereby functioned as the first lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

 of the Russian court. Although raised in the old Russian culture, she understood the need for reformation, and hosted her court, as well as raised her daughters, in a modern Western way, which made her well seen by Peter the Great.

Issue

• Tsarevna Maria Ivanovna (1689–1692)
• Tsarevna Feodosia Ivanovna (1690–1691)
• Tsarevna Ekaterina Ivanovna (1691–1733)
• Tsarevna Anna Ivanovna
  Anna of Russia
  Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
  
   (1693–1740)
• Tsarevna Praskovia Ivanovna (1694–1731)

Sources

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