She was appointed lady in waiting to the Empress Catherine, and was for a time the lover of Peter the Great.
In 1727, she was appointed Ober-Hofmeisterin to her niece Maria Menshikova, daughter of her sister Daria, who was bethrothed to Grand Duke Peter of Russia.
Wishing to be released from captivity, Varvara sent gifts and wrote wrote to the Grand Duchesses Ekaterina and Praskovya, Princess Tatiana Kirillovna Golitsyna, M. M. Rzhevskaya, and other influential ladies of the time, but it was in vain.
On 29 June 1727, Varvara and her nieces Maria and Alexandra were awarded with the Order of Saint Catherine, 1st degree, as was typical of ladies in waiting.
[2] Howerver the order was withdrawn on 14 October 1727 by Captain Pyrsky who accompanied the family into exile.