Praskovya Bruce

Who is Praskovya Bruce?

Countess Praskovja Aleksandrovna Bruce was a Russian lady-in-waiting and noble, confidant of empress Catherine the Great.

She was the sister of Marshal noble Peter Rumjantsev and married to Count Jacob Bruce, governor of Saint Petersburg. She was described as an attractive woman, the "Right hand" of Catherine.

She became the lady-in-waiting of Catherine soon after Catherine's arrival in Russia in 1744, and continued to be so after Catherine's elevation to the monarchy in 1762. Catherine called her "Brussja" and entrusted her with her most intimate personal affairs. Catherine said of her that she was "the person to whom I can say everything, without fear of the consequences", and she is described as her closest confidant in her private affairs. Bruce is best known in history as the "l'éprouveuse", the role she played in Catherine's love life. According to legend, Bruce was to "test" the prospective lovers sexually before they became the lovers of Catherine, after they had been suggested by Potemkin, chosen by Catherine, and examined by a doctor. This very same role has then been attributed to her successor as lady-in-waiting, Anna Protasova. This is unconfirmed, and it is unknown how much truth there is in this, but it is a well-known story in history.