Elizabeth Petrovna was born on 29 December 1709, at Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, Russia. She was the daughter of Catherine I, Empress Consort of Russia (15 April 1684 - 17 May 1727) and Peter I the Great, Emperor of Russia (9 June 1672 - 8 February 1725). Her maternal grandparents were Elisabeth Moritz and Samuil Skavronsky. Her paternal grandparents were Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina, Tsarina of Russia (1 September 1651 - 4 February 1694) and Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, Tsar of Russia (9 March 1629 - 29 January 1676). Elizabeth's parents were secretly married in November 1707, in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in St. Petersburg. Her siblings included: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (27 January 1708 - 4 March 1728), Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (20 March 1713 - 27 May 1715), Grand Duchess Margarita Petrovna (1714-1715), Grand Duke Pyotr Petrovich (1715-1719), Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (1717-1717), Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (31 August 1718 - 15 March 1725), and Grand Duke Pyotr Petrovich (1723-1723). Elizabeth was proclaimed a Tsarevna on 6 March 1711. In February 1712, the marriage of Catherine and Peter I was made public. She was proclaimed a Tsesarevna on 23 December 1721. She had a French governess, and was fluent in Italian, German and French. Elizabeth was betrothed to Prince Karl Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp. A few days after the betrothal, Karl Augustus died. Her father, Peter I died on 28 January 1725. He was succeeded by her mother, as Catherine I. Her sister, Anna married Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1700-1739) on 21 May 1725, in Trinity Church, St. Petersburg. When the young Ukranian peasant, Alexis Razumovsky was brought to St. Petersburg for a church choir, Elizabeth acquired him for her own choir. Her mother, Catherine I died on 17 May 1727, in St. Petersburg. She was buried at St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress. Peter Alexeievich Romanov was crowned Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russian on 25 February 1728. Anna Petrovna died on 4 March 1728, at Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter II died of smallpox, on 30 January 1730, in Moscow. He was succeeded by Anna Ivanovna (1693-1740). Anna Ivanovna died on 28 October 1740. She was succeeded by her grandnephew, as Ivan VI. Elizabeth seized power on the night of 25 November 1741, with the help of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Arriving at the regimental headquarters dressed in a metal breastplate over her dress and grasping a silver cross, Elizabeth said; "Who do you want to serve? Me, the natural sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?" The troops marched to the Winter Palace where they arrested the infant Emperor, his parents and Count von Munnich. Elizabeth crowned herself Empress on 25 April 1742, in the Dormition Cathedral. In her proclamation as Empress Elizabeth I she said; "The Russian people have been groaning under the enemies of the Christian faith, but she has delivered them from the degrading foreign oppression." She placed Bestuzhev at the head of foreign affairs, and made Razumovsky a Prince and Field Marshal. He become known as "the Emperor of the Night". Negotiations between Russia and Sweden were opened on 23 January 1743, in Åbo. Sweden ceded to Russia on 7 August 1743, all the southern part of Finland east of the river Kymmene. Elizabeth I chose her nephew, Peter of Holstein-Gottorp as Heir. Peter was received into the Orthodox Church and proclaimed heir on 7 November 1742. Peter married Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst (2 May 1729- 6 November 1796) on 21 August 1745. On her conversion to the Russian Orthodox Church, Sophie was given the name Catherine, in memory of Elizabeth's mother. Catherine and Peter had a son, Paul born on 20 September 1754. During the Seven Years War, Elizabeth was in alliance with France and Austria against Prussia. Elizabeth I fell ill on 19 September 1757, at Tsarskoe Selo. Elizabeth died aged 52, on 5 January 1762. She was interred on 3 February 1762, at the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, in St.Petersburg. She was succeeded by her nephew, as Peter III, Emperor of Russia. Peter III died on 17 July 1762. He was succeeded by his wife as, Catherine II the Great, Empress of Russia.
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