Favorites – dark horses of Russian history. From Malyuta Skuratov to Lavrenty Beria. The 10 most influential close associates of Russian rulers

Maxim Batmanov, the author of the channel about domestic history, the largest on the platform Zen, presents his view on famous historical figures. Favorites. The favorites of kings, the lovers of empresses, the trusted persons of emperors and leaders. The bloody associates Skuratov and Beria. Underrated reformers Arakcheev and Golitsyn. Secret husbands Potemkin and Razumovsky. Power-hungry Nikon and Biron. The royal friends Menshikov and Rasputin. They unleashed wars, urged rulers towards reforms, entered into conflicts with the entire royal court, enriched themselves and refused gifts. Complex stories of rise, tragic fates, falls from the highest heights, and the secret lives of those who lived between the block and the throne, who managed to leave a memory of themselves in the life of an entire country.