Catherine the Great

Legendary card · No. 2239

Catherine II (born Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 1729 – 17 November 1796), known as Catherine the Great, was Empress of Russia from 9 July 1762 until her death in 1796. Before her accession, Catherine had been a royal consort as the wife of Emperor Peter III, whom she overthrew in a coup d'état. Her reign of over 34 years saw an era of prosperity during the Enlightenment in which many new cities, universities and theatres were established; large-scale immigration from the rest of Europe occurred; and the Russian Empire was recognised as a great power of Europe. Born a German princess, Catherine married Peter, a grandson of Peter the Great, at the age of 16. Peter became Emperor of Russia in 1762, reigning for seven months before his deposition and possible assassination at the hands of Catherine. During her reign, she often maintained close alliances with noble favourites such as Count Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin. She appointed and worked with several highly...

Read on Wikipedia · Image After Alexander Roslin, Public domain