The topic of this article is the biography of Catherine the Great. From 1762 to 1796 this empress reigned. The era of her reign was marked by the enslavement of the peasants. Also, Catherine the Great, whose biography, photos and activities are presented in this article, significantly expanded the privileges of the nobility.
The origin and childhood of Catherine
The future empress was born on May 2 (according to the new style - April 21) 1729 in Stettin. She was the daughter of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the Prussian service, and Princess Johannes-Elizabeth. The future empress was related to English, Prussian and Swedish royal houses... She received her education at home: she studied French and German languages, music, theology, geography, history, danced. Expanding on such a topic as the biography of Catherine the Great, we note that the independent character of the future empress manifested itself already in childhood. She was a persistent, inquisitive child, had a penchant for active, lively games.
Baptism and wedding of Catherine
Catherine, together with her mother, was summoned to Russia by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744. Here she was baptized according to the Orthodox tradition. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the bride of Peter Fedorovich, the Grand Duke (in the future - Emperor Peter III). She married him in 1745.
Empress hobbies
Catherine wanted to win the favor of her husband, the Empress and the Russian people. Her personal life, however, was unsuccessful. Since Peter was infantile, during several years of marriage matrimonial relations between them was not. Catherine was fond of reading works on jurisprudence, history and economics, as well as French educators. All these books shaped her worldview. The future empress became a supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the traditions, customs and history of Russia.
Personal life of Catherine II
Today we know quite a lot about such an important historical person like Catherine the Great: biography, her children, personal life - all this is an object of research by historians and the interest of many of our compatriots. We first meet this empress at school. However, what we learn in history lessons is far from full information about such an empress as Catherine the Great. A biography (grade 4) from a school textbook omits, for example, her personal life.
Catherine II in the early 1750s started an affair with S.V. Saltykov, a guard officer. She gave birth to a son in 1754, the future emperor Paul I. Nevertheless, rumors that Saltykov was his father are unfounded. In the second half of the 1750s, Catherine had an affair with S. Poniatowski, a Polish diplomat who later became King Stanislav August. Also in the early 1760s - with G.G. Orlov. The Empress gave birth to his son Alexei in 1762, who received the name Bobrinsky. As relations with her husband deteriorated, Catherine began to fear for her fate and began to recruit supporters at court. True love her to her homeland, her prudence and ostentatious piety - all this contrasted with the behavior of her husband, which allowed the future empress to gain prestige among the population of St. Petersburg and the high society metropolitan society.
The proclamation of Catherine as Empress
Catherine's relationship with her husband continued to deteriorate during the 6 months of his reign, eventually becoming hostile. Peter III He openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova. There was a threat of Catherine's arrest and her possible expulsion. The future empress carefully prepared the conspiracy. She was supported by N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, K.G. Razumovsky, the Orlov brothers and others. One night, from June 27 to 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg. She was proclaimed the autocratic empress in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment. Other regiments soon joined the rebels. The news of the empress's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city. Petersburgers greeted her with delight. Messengers to Kronstadt and to the army were sent to prevent the actions of Peter III. He, having learned about what happened, began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, but she rejected them. The Empress personally set out for St. Petersburg, leading the Guards regiments, and on the way received a written abdication of the throne of Peter III.
More about the palace coup
As a result of the palace coup on July 9, 1762, Catherine II came to power. It happened as follows. Because of the arrest of Passek, all the conspirators got to their feet, fearing that the arrested person might betray them under torture. It was decided to send Alexei Orlov for Ekaterina. The Empress at this time lived in anticipation of the birthday of Peter III in Peterhof. On the morning of June 28, Aleksey Orlov ran into her bedroom and announced the arrest of Passek. Ekaterina got into Orlov's carriage, she was brought to the Izmailovsky regiment. The soldiers ran out to the square in drumming and immediately swore allegiance to her. Then she moved to the Semyonovsky regiment, which also swore allegiance to the empress. Accompanied by a crowd of people, at the head of two regiments, Catherine went to the Kazan Cathedral. Here, at a prayer service, she was proclaimed empress. Then she headed to Winter Palace and there she found the Synod and the Senate already assembled. They also swore allegiance to her.
Personality and character of Catherine II
Interesting not only the biography of Catherine the Great, but also her personality and character, which left an imprint on her domestic and foreign policy. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent connoisseur of people. The Empress skillfully chose assistants, while not being afraid of talented and bright personalities... Catherine's time was therefore marked by the appearance of many outstanding statesmen, as well as generals, musicians, artists, writers. Catherine was usually restrained, tactful, and patient in dealing with her subjects. She was an excellent conversationalist, could listen carefully to anyone. By the empress's own admission, she did not possess a creative mind, but she caught worthwhile thoughts and knew how to use them for her own purposes.
There were almost no noisy resignations during the reign of this empress. The nobles were not subject to disgrace, they were not exiled or executed. Because of this, the time of Catherine's reign is considered the "golden age" of the nobility in Russia. The Empress, at the same time, was very vain and valued her power more than anything else in the world. She was ready to make any compromises for her preservation, including to the detriment of her own convictions.
The empress's religiosity
This empress was distinguished by ostentatious piety. She considered herself a protector Orthodox Church and its head. Catherine skillfully used in political interests religion. Apparently, her faith was not very deep. The biography of Catherine the Great is marked by the fact that she preached religious tolerance in the spirit of the times. It was under this empress that the persecution of the Old Believers was stopped. Protestant and catholic churches and mosques. Nevertheless, the conversion to another faith from Orthodoxy continued to be severely punished.
Catherine is an opponent of serfdom
Catherine the Great, whose biography interests us, was an ardent opponent serfdom... She considered him contrary to human nature and inhuman. Quite a few harsh statements on this issue have survived in her papers. Also in them you can find her reasoning about how you can eliminate serfdom. Nevertheless, the empress did not dare to do anything concrete in this area for fear of another coup and a noble revolt. At the same time, Catherine was convinced that the Russian peasants were spiritually undeveloped, therefore there was a danger in granting them freedom. According to the Empress, the life of the peasants is quite prosperous among the caring landowners.
First reforms
When Catherine came to the throne, she already had a fairly definite political program. It was based on the ideas of the Enlightenment and took into account the peculiarities of the development of Russia. Consistency, gradualness and consideration of public sentiments were the main principles of the implementation of this program. In the first years of her reign, Catherine II carried out a reform of the Senate (in 1763). His work has become more efficient as a result. In the next year, 1764, Catherine the Great secularized the church lands. A biography for the children of this empress, presented on the pages of school textbooks, will certainly acquaint schoolchildren with this fact. Secularization has significantly replenished the treasury, and also eased the situation of many peasants. Catherine in Ukraine liquidated the hetmanate in accordance with the need to unify local government throughout the state. In addition, she invited German colonists to the Russian Empire to explore the Black Sea and Volga regions.
Foundation of educational institutions and new Code
In the same years, a number of educational institutions were founded, including for women (the first in Russia) - the Catherine School, the Smolny Institute. In 1767, the Empress announced that a special commission was convened to create a new Code. It consisted of elected deputies, representatives of all social groups of society, except for serfs. For the commission, Catherine wrote the "Order", which is, in fact, a liberal program for the reign of this empress. However, her calls were not understood by the deputies. They argued over the smallest issues. Deep contradictions between social groups revealed themselves during these discussions, and low level many deputies political culture and the conservatism of most of them. The Legislated Commission was disbanded at the end of 1768. The Empress appreciated this experience as an important lesson that introduced her to the moods of various strata of the population of the state.
Development of legislative acts
After the end of the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, and the Pugachev uprising was suppressed, the new stage reforms of Catherine. The Empress began to develop the most important legislative acts... In particular, a manifesto was issued in 1775, according to which it was allowed to start any industrial enterprises... Also this year, a provincial reform was carried out, as a result of which a new Administrative division the empire was established. It survived until 1917.
Expanding on the topic "A Brief Biography of Catherine the Great", we note that the Empress in 1785 issued the most important legislative acts. These were certificates of honor to the cities and the nobility. Also, a charter was prepared for the state peasants, but political circumstances did not allow it to be put into effect. The main significance of these letters was associated with the implementation of the main goal of Catherine's reforms - the creation of full-fledged estates in the empire based on the model Western Europe... The diploma meant for the Russian nobility the legal confirmation of almost all the privileges and rights that they had.
Recent and unfulfilled reforms proposed by Catherine the Great
Biography ( summary) the Empress of interest to us is noted for the fact that she carried out various reforms until her death. For example, education reform continued in the 1780s. Catherine the Great, whose biography is presented in this article, created a network based on the classroom system schools in cities. Empress in last years her life she continued to plan a major transformation. Reform central administration was scheduled for 1797, as well as the introduction in the country of legislation on the order of succession to the throne, the creation of a higher court based on representation from 3 estates. However, Catherine II the Great did not manage to complete an extensive reform program. Her brief biography, however, would be incomplete if we did not mention all this. In general, all these reforms were a continuation of the reforms begun by Peter I.
Catherine's foreign policy
What else is interesting about the biography of Catherine the Great? The Empress, following Peter, believed that Russia should actively act on the world arena, pursue an offensive policy, even to some extent aggressive. After accession to the throne, she broke the allied treaty with Prussia, concluded by Peter III. Thanks to the efforts of this empress, it was possible to restore the Duke E.I. Biron on the throne of Courland. Supported by Prussia, in 1763 Russia achieved the election to the Polish throne of Stanislav August Poniatowski, her protege. This, in turn, led to a deterioration in relations with Austria due to the fact that she feared the strengthening of Russia and began to incite Turkey to war with her. In general, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was successful for Russia, but the difficult situation inside the country prompted her to seek peace. And for this it was necessary to restore the old relations with Austria. In the end, a compromise was reached. Poland fell victim to him: the first partition was carried out in 1772 by Russia, Austria and Prussia.
The Kyuchuk-Kainardzhiyskiy peace was signed with Turkey, which ensured the independence of the Crimea, beneficial for Russia. Empire in England's war with the colonies North America took up neutrality. Catherine refused to help the troops English king... A number of European states have joined the Declaration on Armed Neutrality, created on Panin's initiative. This contributed to the victory of the colonists. In subsequent years, the positions of our country in the Caucasus and Crimea were strengthened, which ended with the inclusion of the latter in the Russian Empire in 1782, as well as the signing in next year George's treatise with Heraclius II, the Kartli-Kakhetian king. This ensured the presence of Russian troops in Georgia, and then the annexation of its territory to Russia.
Strengthening authority in the international arena
The new foreign policy doctrine of the Russian government was formed in the 1770s. It was a Greek project. The main goal his was the restoration of the Byzantine Empire and the announcement of the emperor of Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, who was the grandson of Catherine II. Russia in 1779 significantly strengthened its authority on international scene participating as a mediator between Prussia and Austria in the Teschen Congress. The biography of Empress Catherine the Great can also be supplemented by the fact that in 1787, accompanied by the court, the Polish king, the Austrian emperor and foreign diplomats, she traveled to the Crimea. It became a demonstration military power Russia.
Wars with Turkey and Sweden, further partitions of Poland
The biography of Catherine the Great continued with the fact that she began a new Russian-Turkish war. Russia was now acting in alliance with Austria. Almost at the same time, the war with Sweden also began (from 1788 to 1790), which tried to take revenge after the defeat in Northern war... The Russian Empire managed to cope with both of these opponents. In 1791 the war with Turkey ended. The Iasi Peace was signed in 1792. He consolidated the influence of Russia in the Transcaucasus and Bessarabia, as well as the annexation of Crimea to it. The 2nd and 3rd partitions of Poland took place in 1793 and 1795, respectively. They put an end to Polish statehood.
Empress Catherine the Great, short biography which was considered by us, she died on November 17 (according to the old style - November 6), 1796 in St. Petersburg. So significant is her contribution to Russian history that the memory of Catherine II is preserved in many works of domestic and world culture, including the works of such great writers as N.V. Gogol, A.S. Pushkin, B. Shaw, V. Pikul and others. The life of Catherine the Great, her biography inspired many directors - the creators of such films as "The Caprice of Catherine II", "The Tsar's Hunt", "Young Catherine", "Dreams of Russia", " Russian revolt "and others.
The life of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, attracting the attention of both ordinary people and creative personalities for more than two centuries, surrounded by large quantity all kinds of myths. AiF.ru recalls the five most common legends about the most famous Russian mistress.
The first myth. "Catherine II gave birth to the heir to the throne not from Peter III"
One of the most enduring myths associated with the Russian empress concerns who was the father of the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich... For Paul I, who ascended the throne, this topic remained painful until the very last days.
The reason for the persistence of such rumors is that Catherine II herself did not seek to refute them or somehow punish those who spread them.
The relationship between Catherine and her husband, the future Emperor Peter III, was really not warm. Marital relations in the early years were incomplete due to Peter's illness, which was subsequently overcome as a result of the operation.
Two years before the birth of Paul, Catherine had her first favorite, Sergey Saltykov... The relationship between him and Catherine ended after the future empress showed signs of pregnancy. Subsequently, Saltykov was sent abroad as a Russian envoy, and practically did not appear in Russia.
There seem to be many reasons for the version of Saltykov's paternity, but they all do not look convincing against the background of the undoubted portrait similarity between Peter III and Paul I. Contemporaries, focusing not on rumors, but on facts, did not doubt that Pavel was the son of Pyotr Fedorovich.
The second myth. "Catherine II sold Alaska to America"
A stable myth at the end of the 20th century was reinforced by the song of the Lyube group, after which the empress was finally assigned the status of the “liquidator of Russian America”.
In reality, during the reign of Catherine the Great, Russian industrialists were just starting to develop Alaska. The first permanent Russian settlement was founded on Kodiak Island in 1784.
The Empress really reacted without enthusiasm to the projects for the development of Alaska submitted to her, but this was caused by those who and how intended to develop it.
In 1780, Secretary of the Commerce Collegium Mikhail Chulkov submitted to the Prosecutor General of the Senate, Prince Vyazemsky, a project to create a company that was to obtain a 30-year monopoly on fishing and trade in the entire Pacific North. Catherine II, who was an opponent of monopolies, rejected the project. In 1788, a similar project, providing for the transfer of the trade and fishing monopoly of monopoly rights to the production of furs in the newly opened territories in the New World, was submitted by industrialists Grigory Shelikhov and Ivan Golikov... The project was also rejected. Only after the death of Catherine II was the development of Alaska by a monopoly company approved by Paul I.
As for the sale of Alaska, the deal with the United States was concluded in March 1867 at the initiative of the great-grandson of Catherine the Great, the emperor Alexander II.
The third myth. "Catherine II had hundreds of lovers"
Rumors about the incredible sexual adventures of the Russian empress, which have been circulating for the third century, are greatly exaggerated. The list of her lifelong hobbies contains a little more than 20 surnames - this, of course, is uncharacteristic for the Russian court of the pre-Catherine era, but for the mores of Europe at that time, the situation was quite normal. With a little clarification - for male monarchs, and not for women. But the point is that there were not so many women who ruled the states alone at that time.
Until 1772, Catherine's love list was very short - in addition to her legal spouse Peter Fedorovich, it featured Sergey Saltykov, the future Polish king Stanislav August Ponyatovsky and Grigory Orlov, relationship with whom lasted about 12 years.
Apparently, further on, 43-year-old Catherine was affected by the fear of withering of her own beauty. In an effort to catch up with youth, she began to change favorites, who were getting younger, and the duration of their stay with the empress was getting shorter.
The last of the favorites lasted for seven whole years. In 1789, 60-year-old Catherine brought a 22-year-old horse guard closer Platon Zubov... The aging woman was very attached to Zubov, whose only talent was pulling money from the state treasury. But this sad story definitely has nothing to do with the mythical "hundreds of lovers."
The fourth myth. "Catherine II spent most of her time at feasts and balls"
Little Fike's childhood was really far from the classical ideas of how a princess should live. The girl even had to learn to darn her stockings by herself. It would not be surprising if, upon arriving in Russia, Catherine rushed to compensate for her "difficult childhood" with an addiction to luxury and entertainment.
But in fact, having ascended the throne, Catherine II lived in the rigid rhythm of the head of state. She got up at 5 in the morning, and only in later years this time shifted to 7 in the morning. Immediately after breakfast, the reception of officials began, and the schedule of their reports was clearly scheduled for hours and days of the week, and this order did not change for years. The empress's working day lasted up to four hours, after which it was time for rest. At 22 o'clock, Catherine went to bed, because in the morning she had to get up to work again.
Officials who visited the empress on official business outside of solemn and official events saw her in simple dresses without any jewelry - Catherine believed that she did not need to dazzle her subjects with her appearance on weekdays.
The fifth myth. "Catherine II was killed by a Polish dwarf avenger"
The death of the empress was also surrounded by many myths. A year before her death, Catherine II was one of the initiators of the Third Partition of Poland, after which the country ceased to exist as independent states... The Polish throne on which he previously sat former lover The Empress, King Stanislav August Poniatowski, was sent to St. Petersburg, where, by order of the Empress, he was allegedly made a "toilet seat" for her dressing room.
Of course, Polish patriots could not endure such humiliation of their own country and the ancient throne of the Piast dynasty.
The myth says that a certain Pole dwarf allegedly managed to sneak into Catherine's chambers, watched her in the dressing room, stabbed her with a dagger and safely disappeared. The courtiers who discovered the empress could not help her, and she soon died.
The only truth in this story is that Catherine was actually found in the restroom. On the morning of November 16, 1796, the 67-year-old empress, as usual, got out of bed, drank coffee and went to the toilet room, where she lingered too long. The valet on duty dared to look there, and found Catherine lying on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her complexion was crimson, and wheezing came from her throat. The Empress was transferred to the bedchamber. During the fall, Catherine dislocated her leg, her body was so heavy that the servant did not have enough strength to lift him onto the bed. Therefore, a mattress was laid on the floor and the Empress was laid on it.
All signs indicated that Catherine had an apoplectic stroke - this term then meant a stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. She did not regain consciousness, and the court doctors who provided assistance to her had no doubt that the empress had only a few hours to live.
According to doctors, death should have occurred at about three o'clock in the afternoon on November 17. The strong body of Catherine, and then made its own adjustments - the great empress passed away at 9:45 pm on November 17, 1796.
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The topic of this article is the biography of Catherine the Great. From 1762 to 1796 this empress reigned. The era of her reign was marked by the enslavement of the peasants. Also, Catherine the Great, whose biography, photos and activities are presented in this article, significantly expanded the privileges of the nobility.
The origin and childhood of Catherine
The future empress was born on May 2 (according to the new style - April 21) 1729 in Stettin. She was the daughter of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the Prussian service, and Princess Johannes-Elizabeth. The future empress was related to the English, Prussian and Swedish royal houses. She received her education at home: she studied French and German, music, theology, geography, history, and danced. Expanding on such a topic as the biography of Catherine the Great, we note that the independent character of the future empress manifested itself already in childhood. She was a persistent, inquisitive child, had a penchant for active, lively games.
Baptism and wedding of Catherine
Catherine, together with her mother, was summoned to Russia by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744. Here she was baptized according to the Orthodox tradition. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the bride of Peter Fedorovich, the Grand Duke (in the future - Emperor Peter III). She married him in 1745.
Empress hobbies
Catherine wanted to win the favor of her husband, the Empress and the Russian people. Her personal life, however, was unsuccessful. Since Peter was childish, there was no conjugal relationship between them for several years of marriage. Catherine was fond of reading works on jurisprudence, history and economics, as well as French educators. All these books shaped her worldview. The future empress became a supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the traditions, customs and history of Russia.
Personal life of Catherine II
Today we know quite a lot about such an important historical person as Catherine the Great: biography, her children, personal life - all this is an object of research by historians and the interest of many of our compatriots. We first meet this empress at school. However, what we learn in history lessons is far from complete information about such an empress as Catherine the Great. A biography (grade 4) from a school textbook omits, for example, her personal life.
Catherine II in the early 1750s started an affair with S.V. Saltykov, a guard officer. She gave birth to a son in 1754, the future emperor Paul I. Nevertheless, rumors that Saltykov was his father are unfounded. In the second half of the 1750s, Catherine had an affair with S. Poniatowski, a Polish diplomat who later became King Stanislav August. Also in the early 1760s - with G.G. Orlov. The Empress gave birth to his son Alexei in 1762, who received the name Bobrinsky. As relations with her husband deteriorated, Catherine began to fear for her fate and began to recruit supporters at court. Her sincere love for her homeland, her prudence and ostentatious piety - all this contrasted with the behavior of her husband, which allowed the future empress to gain prestige among the population of St. Petersburg and the high society metropolitan society.
The proclamation of Catherine as Empress
Catherine's relationship with her husband continued to deteriorate during the 6 months of his reign, eventually becoming hostile. Peter III openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova. There was a threat of Catherine's arrest and her possible expulsion. The future empress carefully prepared the conspiracy. She was supported by N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, K.G. Razumovsky, the Orlov brothers and others. One night, from June 27 to 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg. She was proclaimed the autocratic empress in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment. Other regiments soon joined the rebels. The news of the empress's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city. Petersburgers greeted her with delight. Messengers to Kronstadt and to the army were sent to prevent the actions of Peter III. He, having learned about what happened, began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, but she rejected them. The Empress personally set out for St. Petersburg, leading the Guards regiments, and on the way received a written abdication of the throne of Peter III.
More about the palace coup
As a result of the palace coup on July 9, 1762, Catherine II came to power. It happened as follows. Because of the arrest of Passek, all the conspirators got to their feet, fearing that the arrested person might betray them under torture. It was decided to send Alexei Orlov for Ekaterina. The Empress at this time lived in anticipation of the birthday of Peter III in Peterhof. On the morning of June 28, Aleksey Orlov ran into her bedroom and announced the arrest of Passek. Ekaterina got into Orlov's carriage, she was brought to the Izmailovsky regiment. The soldiers ran out to the square in drumming and immediately swore allegiance to her. Then she moved to the Semyonovsky regiment, which also swore allegiance to the empress. Accompanied by a crowd of people, at the head of two regiments, Catherine went to the Kazan Cathedral. Here, at a prayer service, she was proclaimed empress. Then she went to the Winter Palace and found the Synod and Senate already assembled there. They also swore allegiance to her.
Personality and character of Catherine II
Interesting not only the biography of Catherine the Great, but also her personality and character, which left an imprint on her domestic and foreign policy. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent connoisseur of people. The Empress skillfully chose assistants, while not being afraid of talented and outstanding personalities. Therefore, the Catherine's time was marked by the appearance of many outstanding statesmen, as well as generals, musicians, artists, and writers. Catherine was usually restrained, tactful, and patient in dealing with her subjects. She was an excellent conversationalist, could listen carefully to anyone. By the empress's own admission, she did not possess a creative mind, but she caught worthwhile thoughts and knew how to use them for her own purposes.
There were almost no noisy resignations during the reign of this empress. The nobles were not subject to disgrace, they were not exiled or executed. Because of this, the time of Catherine's reign is considered the "golden age" of the nobility in Russia. The Empress, at the same time, was very vain and valued her power more than anything else in the world. She was ready to make any compromises for her preservation, including to the detriment of her own convictions.
The empress's religiosity
This empress was distinguished by ostentatious piety. She considered herself the protector of the Orthodox Church and its leader. Catherine skillfully used religion for political interests. Apparently, her faith was not very deep. The biography of Catherine the Great is marked by the fact that she preached religious tolerance in the spirit of the times. It was under this empress that the persecution of the Old Believers was stopped. Protestant and Catholic churches and mosques were erected. Nevertheless, the conversion to another faith from Orthodoxy continued to be severely punished.
Catherine is an opponent of serfdom
Catherine the Great, whose biography interests us, was an ardent opponent of serfdom. She considered him contrary to human nature and inhuman. Quite a few harsh statements on this issue have survived in her papers. Also in them you can find her reasoning about how you can eliminate serfdom. Nevertheless, the empress did not dare to do anything concrete in this area for fear of another coup and a noble revolt. At the same time, Catherine was convinced that the Russian peasants were spiritually undeveloped, therefore there was a danger in granting them freedom. According to the Empress, the life of the peasants is quite prosperous among the caring landowners.
First reforms
When Catherine came to the throne, she already had a fairly definite political program. It was based on the ideas of the Enlightenment and took into account the peculiarities of the development of Russia. Consistency, gradualness and consideration of public sentiments were the main principles of the implementation of this program. In the first years of her reign, Catherine II carried out a reform of the Senate (in 1763). His work has become more efficient as a result. In the next year, 1764, Catherine the Great secularized the church lands. A biography for the children of this empress, presented on the pages of school textbooks, will certainly acquaint schoolchildren with this fact. Secularization has significantly replenished the treasury, and also eased the situation of many peasants. Catherine in Ukraine liquidated the hetmanate in accordance with the need to unify local government throughout the state. In addition, she invited German colonists to the Russian Empire to explore the Black Sea and Volga regions.
Foundation of educational institutions and new Code
In the same years, a number of educational institutions were founded, including for women (the first in Russia) - the Catherine School, the Smolny Institute. In 1767, the Empress announced that a special commission was convened to create a new Code. It consisted of elected deputies, representatives of all social groups of society, except for serfs. For the commission, Catherine wrote the "Order", which is, in fact, a liberal program for the reign of this empress. However, her calls were not understood by the deputies. They argued over the smallest issues. Deep contradictions between social groups were revealed in the course of these discussions, as well as the low level of political culture among many deputies and the conservatism of most of them. The Legislated Commission was disbanded at the end of 1768. The Empress appreciated this experience as an important lesson that introduced her to the moods of various strata of the population of the state.
Development of legislative acts
After the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, ended, and the Pugachev uprising was suppressed, a new stage of Catherine's reforms began. The Empress began to develop the most important legislative acts herself. In particular, a manifesto was issued in 1775, according to which it was allowed to start any industrial enterprises without restrictions. Also this year, a provincial reform was carried out, as a result of which a new administrative division of the empire was established. It survived until 1917.
Expanding on the topic "A Brief Biography of Catherine the Great", we note that the Empress in 1785 issued the most important legislative acts. These were certificates of honor to the cities and the nobility. Also, a charter was prepared for the state peasants, but political circumstances did not allow it to be put into effect. The main significance of these letters was associated with the implementation of the main goal of Catherine's reforms - the creation of full-fledged estates in the empire on the model of Western Europe. The diploma meant for the Russian nobility the legal confirmation of almost all the privileges and rights that they had.
Recent and unfulfilled reforms proposed by Catherine the Great
The biography (summary) of the Empress of interest to us is noted for the fact that she carried out various reforms until her death. For example, education reform continued in the 1780s. Catherine the Great, whose biography is presented in this article, created a network of classroom-based school institutions in cities. In the last years of her life, the Empress continued to plan major transformations. The reform of the central government was planned for 1797, as well as the introduction of legislation on the order of succession in the country, the creation of a higher court based on representation from 3 estates. However, Catherine II the Great did not manage to complete an extensive reform program. Her brief biography, however, would be incomplete if we did not mention all this. In general, all these reforms were a continuation of the reforms begun by Peter I.
Catherine's foreign policy
What else is interesting about the biography of Catherine the Great? The Empress, following Peter, believed that Russia should actively act on the world arena, pursue an offensive policy, even to some extent aggressive. After accession to the throne, she broke the allied treaty with Prussia, concluded by Peter III. Thanks to the efforts of this empress, it was possible to restore the Duke E.I. Biron on the throne of Courland. Supported by Prussia, in 1763 Russia achieved the election to the Polish throne of Stanislav August Poniatowski, her protege. This, in turn, led to a deterioration in relations with Austria due to the fact that she feared the strengthening of Russia and began to incite Turkey to war with her. In general, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was successful for Russia, but the difficult situation inside the country prompted her to seek peace. And for this it was necessary to restore the old relations with Austria. In the end, a compromise was reached. Poland fell victim to him: the first partition was carried out in 1772 by Russia, Austria and Prussia.
The Kyuchuk-Kainardzhiyskiy peace was signed with Turkey, which ensured the independence of the Crimea, beneficial for Russia. Empire in the war of England with the colonies of North America took neutrality. Catherine refused to help the English king with troops. A number of European states have joined the Declaration on Armed Neutrality, created on Panin's initiative. This contributed to the victory of the colonists. In subsequent years, the positions of our country in the Caucasus and Crimea were strengthened, which culminated in the inclusion of the latter in the Russian Empire in 1782, as well as the signing of the Treaty of St. George with Irakli II, the King of Kartli-Kakheti the following year. This ensured the presence of Russian troops in Georgia, and then the annexation of its territory to Russia.
Strengthening authority in the international arena
The new foreign policy doctrine of the Russian government was formed in the 1770s. It was a Greek project. Its main goal was the restoration of the Byzantine Empire and the announcement of the emperor of Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, who was the grandson of Catherine II. Russia in 1779 significantly strengthened its authority in the international arena, participating as a mediator between Prussia and Austria in the Teschen Congress. The biography of Empress Catherine the Great can also be supplemented by the fact that in 1787, accompanied by the court, the Polish king, the Austrian emperor and foreign diplomats, she traveled to the Crimea. It became a demonstration of Russia's military power.
Wars with Turkey and Sweden, further partitions of Poland
The biography of Catherine the Great continued with the fact that she began a new Russian-Turkish war. Russia was now acting in alliance with Austria. Almost at the same time, the war with Sweden also began (from 1788 to 1790), which tried to take revenge after the defeat in the Northern War. The Russian Empire managed to cope with both of these opponents. In 1791 the war with Turkey ended. The Iasi Peace was signed in 1792. He consolidated the influence of Russia in the Transcaucasus and Bessarabia, as well as the annexation of Crimea to it. The 2nd and 3rd partitions of Poland took place in 1793 and 1795, respectively. They put an end to Polish statehood.
Empress Catherine the Great, whose brief biography was reviewed by us, died on November 17 (according to the old style - November 6), 1796 in St. Petersburg. So significant is her contribution to Russian history that the memory of Catherine II is preserved in many works of domestic and world culture, including the works of such great writers as N.V. Gogol, A.S. Pushkin, B. Shaw, V. Pikul and others. The life of Catherine the Great, her biography inspired many directors - the creators of such films as "The Caprice of Catherine II", "The Tsar's Hunt", "Young Catherine", "Dreams of Russia", " Russian revolt "and others.
Ekaterina Alekseevna Romanova (Catherine II the Great)
Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess, Duchess of Anhalt-Zerba.
Years of life: 04/21/1729 - 11/6/1796
Russian Empress (1762 - 1796)
Daughter of Prince Christian August of Anhalt of Zerbst and Princess Johann Elizabeth.
Catherine II - biography
Born April 21 (May 2) 1729 in Shettin. Her father, Prince Christian-August of Anhalt-Zerbsky, served the Prussian king, but his family was considered impoverished. Sofia Augusta's mother was own sister King of Sweden Adolf-Friedrich. Other relatives of the mother of the future Empress Catherine ruled Prussia and England. Sofia Augusta (family nickname - Fike) was the eldest daughter in the family. She was educated at home.
In 1739, the 10-year-old princess Fike was introduced to her future husband, heir to the Russian throne, Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, who was the nephew of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich Romanov. The heir to the Russian throne made a negative impression on the highest Prussian society, showed himself to be ill-mannered and narcissistic.
In 1744, Fike arrived in St. Petersburg secretly, under the name of Countess Reinbeck, at the invitation of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The bride of the future emperor accepted Orthodox faith and received the name - Ekaterina Alekseevna.
Marriage of Catherine the Great
On August 21, 1745, the wedding of Ekaterina Alekseevna and Peter Fedorovich took place. A brilliant political marriage turned out to be unsuccessful in terms of relationships. It was more formal. Spouse Peter was fond of playing the violin, military maneuvers and mistresses. During this time, the spouses not only did not get close, but also became completely strangers to each other. 
Ekaterina Alekseevna read works on history, jurisprudence, the works of various educators, well learned the Russian language, traditions and customs of the new homeland. Surrounded by enemies, not loved by either her husband or his relatives, Ekaterina Alekseevna in 1754 gave birth to a son (the future Emperor Paul I), constantly fearing that she could be expelled from Russia. “I had good teachers- a misfortune with solitude ”- she will write later. Sincere interest and love for Russia did not go unnoticed, and everyone began to respect the spouse of the heir to the throne. At the same time, Catherine amazed everyone with her diligence, she could personally brew coffee for herself, light a fireplace and even wash.
Novels of Catherine the Great
Being unhappy in family life, in the early 1750s, Ekaterina Alekseevna starts an affair with a guard officer Sergei Saltykov.
The behavior of Peter III, while still in the status of the Grand Duke, does not like his royal aunt very much, he actively expresses his Prussian sentiments against Russia. The courtiers notice that Elizabeth favors his son Pavel Petrovich and Catherine more.
The second half of the 1750s was marked for Catherine by an affair with the Polish envoy Stanislav Poniatowski (in the future he became King Stanislav August).
In 1758, Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Anna, who died before she even lived for two years.
In the early 1760s, a dizzying famous romance with Prince Orlov arose, which lasted more than 10 years.
In 1761, Catherine's husband, Peter III, came to the Russian throne, and relations between the spouses became hostile. Peter threatens to marry his mistress and exile Catherine to a monastery. And Ekaterina Alekseevna decided on a coup d'etat with the help of the guards, the Orlov brothers, K. Razumovsky and her other supporters on June 28, 1762. She is proclaimed empress and swear allegiance to her. The spouse's attempts to find a compromise fail. As a result, he signs an act of abdication.
Reforms of Catherine the Great
On September 22, 1762, the coronation of Catherine II took place. And in the same year, the empress gave birth to a son, Alexei, whose father is Grigory Orlov. For obvious reasons, the boy was given the surname Bobrinsky.
The time of her reign was marked by many significant events: in 1762 she supported the idea of I.I. Betsky to create the first Russian Orphanage. Reorganized the Senate (1763), secularized the lands (1763-64), abolished the hetmanate in Ukraine (1764) and founded the 1st women's educational institution at the Smolny Monastery. She headed the Legislative Commission 1767-1769. It happened with her Peasant war 1773-1775 (the uprising of E.I. Pugachev). Published the Establishment for the Governance of the Province in 1775, the Charter to the Nobility in 1785 and the Charter to the Cities of 1785.
Famous historians (M.M. Shcherbatov, I.N.Boltin), writers and poets (G.R. Derzhavin, N.M. Karamzin, D.I. Fonvizin), painters (D.G. Levitsky, F.S. Rokotov), sculptors (F.I.Shubin, E. Falcone). She founded the Academy of Arts, became the founder of the State Hermitage collection, initiated the creation of the Academy of Russian Literature, of which she made her friend E.R. Dashkova its president.
Under Catherine II Alekseevna, as a result Russian-Turkish wars 1768-1774, 1787-1791 Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea, were also annexed Northern Black Sea region, Kuban region, Crimea. In 1783, she took Eastern Georgia under Russian citizenship. The sections of the Commonwealth were implemented (1772, 1793, 1795).
She corresponded with Voltaire and other figures of the French Enlightenment. She - the author of many fiction, journalistic, dramatic, popular science works, "Notes".
External politics of Catherine 2 was aimed at strengthening the prestige of Russia on the world stage. She achieved her goal, and even Frederick the Great spoke of Russia as a "terrible power" from which in half a century "the whole of Europe will tremble."
The last years of her life - the empress lived with the care of her grandson Alexander, personally involved in his upbringing and education and seriously thought about transferring the throne to him bypassing her son.
The reign of Catherine II
The era of Catherine II is considered the heyday of favoritism. After parting at the beginning of the 1770s. with G.G. Orlov, in subsequent years Empress Catherine changed a number of favorites (about 15 favorites, among them the talented princes P.A. Rumyantsev, G.A. Potemkin, A.A. Bezborodko). She did not allow them to participate in solving political issues. Catherine lived with her favorites for several years, but parted for a variety of reasons (due to the death of a favorite, his betrayal or unworthy behavior), but no one was disgraced. All were generously awarded with ranks, titles, money.
There is an assumption that Catherine II secretly married Potemkin, with whom she kept friendly relations until his death.
"Tartuffe in a skirt and crown" nicknamed A.S. Pushkin, Catherine knew how to win over people. She was smart, had political talent, and was well versed in people. Outwardly, the ruler was attractive and majestic. She wrote about herself: "Many say that I work a lot, but it still seems to me that I have done little when I look at what remains to be done." Such a huge dedication in work was not in vain.
The life of the 67-year-old empress was cut short by a stroke on November 6 (17), 1796 in Tsarskoe Selo. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
In 1778, she composed the following epitaph for herself:
Having ascended the Russian throne, she wished well
And she really wanted to give her subjects Happiness, Freedom and Well-being.
She easily forgave and did not imprison anyone.
She was indulgent, did not complicate her life and had a cheerful disposition.
Had a republican soul and kind heart... She had friends.
The work was easy for her, friendship and arts brought her joy. 
Spouses of Catherine:
- Peter III
- Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin (according to some sources)
- Pavel I Petrovich
- Anna Petrovna
- Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky
- Elizaveta G. Tyomkina
V late XIX century, a collection of works of Catherine II the Great in 12 volumes was published, which included children's moralizing tales written by the empress, pedagogical teachings, dramatic plays, articles, autobiographical notes, translations.
In the cinema, her image is reflected in the films: "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", 1961; "The Tsar's Hunt", 1990; "Vivat, midshipmen!", 1991; Young Catherine, 1991; "Russian revolt", 2000; The Golden Age, 2003; Catherine the Great, 2005. Famous actresses played the role of Catherine (Marlene Dietrich, Julia Ormond, Via Artmane, etc.).
Many artists have captured the appearance of Catherine II. A works of art vividly reflect the character of the empress herself and the era of her reign (A.S. Pushkin “ Captain's daughter"; B. Show "Great Catherine"; VN Ivanov "Empress Fike"; VS Pikul "Favorite", "Pen and Sword"; Boris Akunin "Extracurricular reading").
In 1873 g. monument Catherine II Velikaya was opened on Alexandrinskaya Square in St. Petersburg. On September 8, 2006, a monument to Catherine II was opened in Krasnodar, on October 27, 2007, monuments to Catherine II Alekseevna were unveiled in Odessa and Tiraspol. In Sevastopol - May 15, 2008
The period of Ekaterina Alekseevna's reign is often considered the “golden age” of the Russian Empire. Thanks to her reformatory activities, she is the only Russian ruler who was awarded the historical memory compatriots, like Peter I, the epithet "Great".
Catherine II
Biography of Catherine II - young years.
She was born on April 21, 1729 in the German city of Stettin. Her family was not rich, and the future empress studied at home.
In 1744, perhaps the most significant event in the biography of Catherine II, which determined her entire further destiny... Catherine was chosen as the bride of the heir to the Russian throne, the future Emperor Peter III. Immediately after arriving in Russia, Catherine began to study the Russian language, the history and traditions of the country, perceiving it as her new homeland. The craving for self-education was very important fact biography of Catherine II, which later became noticeable during the period of her reign.
On June 28, 1744, Sophia Frederica Augusta converted to the Orthodox faith, receiving the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. After that, she was immediately betrothed to the heir to the throne, and on August 21, 1745, their wedding ceremony took place. The husband practically did not pay any attention to his young wife, and Catherine continued to study the culture of her second homeland and pursue her education. She also loved to participate in hunting, went horseback riding, attended dances and masquerades. These were her main entertainments.
On September 20, 1754, Catherine gave birth to a son, the future emperor Paul I. The child was immediately taken away from her, later allowing her to see him only occasionally. After the birth of her son, Catherine's relationship with Peter and the Empress deteriorated. Peter, without hiding, made mistresses, Catherine herself was also at that time in connection with Stanislav Poniatowski, the future king of Poland.
On December 9, 1758, Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Anna, whom Peter refused to accept, doubting that the child was from him. Circumstances developed against Catherine: Empress Elizabeth was seriously ill, Catherine's secret correspondence was revealed, containing a discussion of political issues, with British ambassador... This made it possible to expel Catherine from Russia. It is not known how it would have developed further biography future Empress Catherine II, if she had not surrounded herself with favorites and loyal associates.
Empress Elizabeth died in 1761. Peter III ascended the throne. After receiving the throne, Peter began to live openly with his mistress, having evicted his wife away from the marital chambers. Soon, Catherine became pregnant by her lover G. G. Orlov. She had to hide her pregnancy due to the long absence of a relationship with her husband. Catherine also gave birth secretly from everyone. Catherine gave birth to her second son, Alexei.
Internal and foreign policy, led by Peter III, caused more and more discontent. In addition to the fact that he returned to Prussia part of the captured during Seven Years War lands, he was going to act at the head of the campaign against the Russian ally Denmark. The emperor also intended to carry out internal changes in the country, primarily concerning the church: abolish monastic land tenure and reform church rituals. He began to lay down a conspiracy against the emperor. Supporters of the coup considered Peter III incapable of running the state, while his intelligent and benevolent wife looked much more advantageous as the holder of the throne.
The dissatisfaction with the emperor on the part of the officer corps grew. Companions of Catherine persuaded the guard to their side, preparing for a palace coup.
On June 28, 1762, in the absence of the emperor, Catherine arrived in St. Petersburg to take the oath of office from the guards. The next day, Peter III abdicated the throne and soon died. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the reigning Empress Catherine II and was crowned in Moscow on September 22, 1762.
This is how the reign of Catherine II began, which is called the golden age of the Russian Empire. Her policy was different gradual development... Having ascended the throne, Catherine II began to lead reform activities- he carried out judicial, administrative, provincial and other reforms. Under her, the economy and trade of Russia developed and the territory of the state increased significantly. During the reign of Empress Catherine II, the population of the country increased significantly, and Russia became the most populous country in Europe, occupying about twenty percent of its population.
Biography of Catherine II - mature years.
The period of Catherine's reign was long - from 1762 to 1796 - and filled with the philosophy of the Enlightenment, which at that time was promoted by the rulers of Europe. Catherine even thought about the abolition of serfdom, but did not find ways to carry out such grandiose changes, as she feared a reaction to this from the nobility. The system of provincial division, introduced by Empress Catherine II, remained unchanged until 1917.
Other important innovations of Catherine II were the adoption in 1775 of the law on freedom of entrepreneurship, the consolidation in 1785 of the estate rights and privileges of the nobles and a similar reform in relation to residents of cities who were given a limited right of self-government, as well as the reforms of 1782-1786 in the field of school education. ...
A major failure of the empress was an attempt to develop a new set of laws based on the presumption of innocence, the eradication of despotism, the spread of education and the people's welfare. However, the activities of the Legislative Commission, created for these purposes in 1767, did not bring the desired results, and the empress abandoned attempts to change the established foundations for centuries.
During the reign of Catherine II, the Free Economic Society and Free Printing Houses were created, the Hermitage was founded and Public library Petersburg, as well as the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens and pedagogical schools in both capitals. Many historians, analyzing the successive transformations of Empress Catherine, say that it was she who laid the foundation for the future. civil society in Russia.
The Empress died on November 6, 1796 in St. Petersburg.
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