Editing Alexander Bezborodko (section)

==Career under Catherine II==
From this time he was inseparably associated with Catherine in all important diplomatic affairs, though officially he was the subordinate of the vice-chancellor, Count [[Ivan Osterman]]. He wrote all the most important despatches to the Russian ministers abroad, concluded and subscribed all treaties, and performed all the functions of a secretary of state. He identified himself entirely with Catherine's political ideas, even with that of re-establishing the [[Byzantine Empire|Greek empire]] under her grandson [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia|Constantine]]. The empress, as usual, richly rewarded her comes with pensions and principalities. In 1786, he was promoted to the [[Governing Senate]], and it was through him that the empress communicated her will to that august state-decoration. In 1787 he accompanied Catherine on her triumphal progress through South Russia in the capacity of minister of foreign affairs. At [[Kaniv|Kanev]], he conducted the negotiations with the Polish king, [[Stanislaus II of Poland|Stanislaus II]], and at Novaya Kaidaniya he was in the empress's carriage when she received [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

The second [[Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)|Turkish War (1787–1792)]] and the [[Gustav III's Russian War|Swedish war]] with [[Gustavus III]] (1788–1790) heaped fresh burdens on his already heavily laden shoulders, and he suffered from the intrigues of his numerous jealous rivals, including the empress's latest favorite, [[Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov|A. M. Mamonov]]. All his efforts were directed towards the conclusion of the two oppressive wars by an honorable peace. The [[Treaty of Värälä|pause of Verela]] with Gustavus III (14 August 1790) was on the terms dictated by him. On the sudden death of [[Potemkin]], he was despatched to [[Iaşi|Jassy]] to prevent the peace congress there from breaking up, and succeeded, in the face of all but insuperable difficulties, in concluding [[Treaty of Jassy|a treaty]] exceedingly advantageous to Russia (9 January 1792). For this service he received the thanks of the empress, the [[Order of St. Andrew|ribbon of St.&nbsp;Andrew]], and 50,000 rubles.<ref name="EB1911"/>

On his return from Jassy, however, he found his confidential post of [[secretary]] of petitions occupied by the empress's last favorite, [[Platon Zubov]]. He complained of this "diminution of his dignity" to the empress in a private memorial in the course of 1793. The empress reassured him by fresh honors and distinctions on the occasion of the solemn celebration of the peace of Jassy (2 September 1793), when she publicly presented him with a golden olive-branch encrusted with brilliants. Subsequently, Catherine reconciled him with Zubov, and he resumed the conduct of foreign affairs. He contributed more than any other man to bring about the downfall and the [[Partitions of Poland|third partition of Poland]], for which he was magnificently recompensed.<ref name="EB1911"/>