Catherine the Great

28 June 1762 Old Style, 9 July New

On 28 June 1762 in Russia's Julian calendar — 9 July Gregorian — Alexei Orlov brought Catherine from Peterhof to St Petersburg, where guards regiments acclaimed her as empress and swore allegiance.

She went on to the Winter Palace, where the Senate and Holy Synod recognized her and a manifesto and oath of allegiance were prepared. A decree issued in her name that day announced that she had taken the all-Russian throne and ordered officials to accept commands bearing only her signature.

Out of the capital in a guards uniform

Wearing a guards uniform, Catherine placed herself at the head of troops and moved toward Peterhof. Her memoirs claim about 14,000 guards and line soldiers in St Petersburg, and describe soldiers kissing her hands, feet and clothing as regiments transferred their loyalty.

Those memoirs are retrospective and self-justifying. Peter III, away from the capital, found that its political and military institutions had changed allegiance.

Abdication after proclamation

Catherine was proclaimed before Peter completed his abdication. He was arrested and forced to abdicate on 10 July Gregorian, then confined at Ropsha; her own formal coronation came later, in Moscow.

Peter died at Ropsha on 6 July Old Style, 17 July New Style — eight days after the coup. Murder is widely accepted, but the exact manner, the participants and Catherine's advance knowledge remain unresolved.

Catherine ended Peter's active alliance with Prussia, formally concluded on 19 June 1762, and withdrew Russian troops. She did not renew war against Frederick II.