Catherine
Saltykova was the daughter of Field Marshal Earl
Pyotr Saltykov and his wife, Princess Praskovia Yuriyevna
Trubetskaya. In 1762 Catherine married Count Andrei Petrovich
Shuvalov (1743–1789) and soon after the wedding, her husband made a
Grand Tour, which included, among other things, a visit to
Voltaire in
Ferney. After their return to Moscow, in 1766 Shuvalov settled in a house on Butcher Street, where in 1767 he was awarded the visit of the empress Catherine. Thanks to her favor Countess Catherine Petrovna took a prominent position at the court. "Cancelled amiable in a simple and a friendly community," according to Prince
Dolgoruky, Shuvalov was holding an open house, "where science, art, poetry, theater and all captivating the imagination, abducted first place in the conversation, activities and amusements." Shuvalova assimilated the
Deism of her husband, a fervent devotee of Voltaire, and Countess' doctrines last enjoyed in life to justify their weakness, and in this spirit that brought their daughters. In 1776 Shuvalovs again went abroad and settled in
Paris. "Shuvalov travels to many, but to her, no one, consequently, is not familiar to everyone nicely," - wrote at the time
Denis Fonvizin.
Madame du Deffand calls her a woman intolerably boring, though polite. In 1781, Shuvalova returned to
Saint Petersburg and at 8 years old widowed. Staying at the court in 1792, she was made lady-in-waiting, and in the same year, Empress requested it, as experienced in foreign travel, to bring to Saint Petersburg young princesses of
Baden-Durlach, one of which was intended bride Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich, future
Alexander I of Russia. Shuvalov fulfill its mandate very skillfully, went abroad under the pretext of going to the Aachen water, and returning with the princesses in Russia, the day of the engagement of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alexeievna was appointed to consist in her Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia. In this field, so Shuvalov has shown its penchant for intrigue, which antagonized the grand courtyard and was nicknamed la Grande clabaudeuse ("great zlopyhatelnitsa"). Disliking the Grand Duke, she tried hard to settle discord between the young couple, all pleasing to the Grand Duchess and her constantly pointing out the mistakes of her husband. The result of this behavior it was unanimous and strong condemnation of all others. Grand Duke Alexander Shuvalov hated, but his father
Paul I of Russia made no secret of his contempt for her. According to
Varvara Golovina, to strengthen its position Shuvalova was trying to flatter the prince Zubov, becoming the "main confidante of his senses. On his accession to the throne of Emperor Paul eliminated her from the post of the lady-in-waiting, but on the day of the coronation in 1797 gave to her the Order of Saint Catherine the second degree and two years only made the tape. Soon after that she was allowed to go abroad. ==Conversion to Roman Catholicism==