ONTSOV, PRINCESS (1744-181o), Russian litterateur, was the third daughter of Count Roman Vorontsov. (For the family see VORONTSOV.) She studied mathematics at the University of Mos cow, and became one of the leaders of the party that attached itself to the, grand duchess (afterwards empress) Catherine. Be fore she was 16 she married Prince Mikhail Dashkov and went to reside with him at Moscow. In 1762 she was at St. Petersburg (Leningrad) and took a leading part, according to her own account the leading part, in the coup d'etat by which Catherine was raised to the throne. (See CATHERINE II.) Another course of events would probably have resulted in the elevation of the Princess Dashkov's elder sister, Elizabeth, who was the emperor's mistress, and in whose favour he made no secret of his intention to depose Catherine. Her relations with the new empress were not cordial and she set out in 1768 on an extended tour through Europe. In Paris she secured the warm friendship and admiration of Diderot and Voltaire. She corresponded with Garrick, Dr. Blair and Principal Robertson. In 1782 she returned to the Russian capi tal, where she was appointed directeur of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 1784 the first president of the Russian Acad emy founded at her suggestion. She projected the Russian dic tionary of the Academy, arranged its plan, and executed a part of the work herself. She edited a monthly magazine; and wrote at least two dramatic works, The Marriage of Fabian, and a comedy entitled Toissiokoff. Shortly before Catherine's death she retired from court. On the accession of the emperor Paul in 1796 she was deprived of all her offices, and ordered to retire to a village in the government of Novgorod, "to meditate on the events of 1762." But she passed the closing years of her life on her estate near Moscow, where she died on Jan. 4, 181o.
The Memoirs of the Princess Dashkoff written by herself were com posed in English and published in London (2 vols., 184o). They were edited by Mrs. W. Bradford, who, as Miss Wilmot, had resided with the princess between 1803 and 1808, and had suggested their prepara tion.