Favоritism and its influence оn the Russian state and its sоciety
The relevance of the chosen topic is of interest not only as a historical fact, but also as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Personal relations of those in power with people close to them - favorites have played and continue to play a huge role in the formation of the state, making important managerial decisions, the prosperity or decline of the country. The scale of the favorites 'activities is huge, being next to prominent political figures, state rulers, they play the role of" gray cardinals", implementing the decisions prepared by them through their patrons. And to this day, "the entourage makes the king", the phenomenon of favoritism has not lost its relevance. To this day, the question remains relevant related to the assessment of historical figures holding high public positions of their activities and, of course, the influence exerted on their decisions by people close to them.Given the fact that the favorites were close to their patrons, they certainly took advantage of their privileged position, and often abused it. Despite the fact that some of the favorites were highly educated, talented people with extraordinary abilities, but there were also those who left a negative mark on the history of Russia. Unfortunately, many favorites often did not have high benchmarks and their actions were aimed at obtaining personal benefits from the current situations, wars and conflicts. The favorites occupied dominant positions in the existing hierarchy and, guided by their life goals and guidelines, achieved previously set goals, which, as historical chronicles prove, were not always disinterested and pure. The power, unwittingly granted to the favorite by his patron, extended to ordinary people, who often became hostages of the current situations and were forced to suffer from their cruelty and tyranny.