Portrait of Count Piotr Chernyshev

myminifactory

Count Peter Grigorievich Tchernychev or Tchernychov (1712 - 1773) was a highly respected Russian diplomat who also held positions as Secret Councillor, Kammerherr and senator. As the brother of Zakhar Grigorievich Tchernychev and Ivan Grigorievich Tchernychev, he came from a family with strong ties to government and diplomacy. Born into a prominent family, Count Peter was the son of Gregory Petrovich Chernyshev (1672-1745) and his wife Eudoxia Rzewska (1693-1747). At just 11 years old, Peter began his career as a page at the court of Charles Fredrick, the young Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1700-1739), eventually becoming a Kammerpage. During the reign of Empress Anne, Count Peter was appointed ambassador extraordinary to the Danish court in 1741 and later to Berlin, where he worked closely with King Frederick the Great. His diplomatic career continued in London, where he played a key role at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle between April and October 1748. At this historic gathering, Count Peter was instrumental in drafting the Treaty of Peace, which brought together France under Louis XV and the maritime powers to settle issues related to the Austrian Succession. The treaty, signed on October 18, 1748, recognized Prussia's control over Silesia and addressed maritime concerns. Count Peter also left a lasting legacy as the father of Princess Nathalie Galitzine (1741-1837), who inspired Alexander Pushkin's famous story "The Queen of Spades" and was a close friend of Madame Vigee Le Brun, a renowned artist.