It is known that Catherine 2. Just Fike

CATHERINE II the Great(1729-96), Russian empress (from 1762). German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. Since 1744 - in Russia. Since 1745, the wife of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future emperor, whom she overthrew from the throne (1762), relying on the guard (G. G. and A. G. Orlovs and others). She reorganized the Senate (1763), secularized the lands (1763-64), and abolished the hetmanate in Ukraine (1764). She headed the Statutory Commission 1767-69. During her reign, the Peasants' War of 1773-75 took place. Issued an Institution for the management of the province in 1775, a Charter to the nobility in 1785 and a Charter to the cities in 1785. Under Catherine II, as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-74, 1787-91, Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea, the North was annexed. Black Sea region, Crimea, Kuban region. Accepted Vostochny under Russian citizenship. Georgia (1783). During the reign of Catherine II, the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were carried out (1772, 1793, 1795). She corresponded with other figures of the French Enlightenment. Author of many fictional, dramatic, journalistic, popular science works, “Notes”.

EKATERINA II Alekseevna(nee Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst), Russian Empress (from 1762-96).

Origin, upbringing and education

Catherine, daughter of Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth ( princess-nee Holstein-Gottorp), was related to royal houses Sweden, Prussia and England. She was educated at home: she studied German and French, dance, music, basics of history, geography, theology. Already in childhood, her independent character, curiosity, perseverance, and at the same time a penchant for lively, active games were evident. In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned to Russia by the Empress, baptized according to Orthodox custom under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna and named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich ( future emperor Peter III), whom she married in 1745.

Life in Russia before accession to the throne

Catherine set herself the goal of winning the favor of the empress, her husband and the Russian people. However, her personal life was unsuccessful: Peter was infantile, so during the first years of marriage there was no marital relationship between them. Having paid tribute have a fun life court, Catherine turned to reading French educators and works on history, jurisprudence and economics. These books shaped her worldview. Catherine became a consistent supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the history, traditions and customs of Russia. In the early 1750s. Catherine began an affair with guards officer S.V. Saltykov, and in 1754 gave birth to a son, the future Emperor Paul I, but rumors that Saltykov was Paul’s father have no basis. In the second half of the 1750s. Catherine had an affair with the Polish diplomat S. Poniatowski (later King Stanislav Augustus), and in the early 1760s. with G. G. Orlov, from whom she gave birth to a son, Alexei, in 1762, who received the surname Bobrinsky. The deterioration of relations with her husband led to the fact that she began to fear for her fate if he came to power and began to recruit supporters at court. Catherine's ostentatious piety, her prudence, and sincere love for Russia - all this sharply contrasted with Peter's behavior and allowed her to gain authority both among the high society metropolitan society and the general population of St. Petersburg.

Accession to the throne

During the six months of Peter III's reign, Catherine's relationship with her husband (who openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova) continued to deteriorate, becoming clearly hostile. There was a threat of her arrest and possible deportation. Catherine carefully prepared the conspiracy, relying on the support of the Orlov brothers, N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova and others. On the night of June 28, 1762, when the emperor was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg and was proclaimed in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment autocratic empress. Soon soldiers from other regiments joined the rebels. The news of Catherine's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city and was greeted with delight by St. Petersburg residents. To prevent the actions of the deposed emperor, messengers were sent to the army and to Kronstadt. Meanwhile, Peter, having learned about what had happened, began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, which were rejected. The Empress herself, at the head of the guards regiments, set out for St. Petersburg and on the way received Peter’s written abdication of the throne.

Character and mode of government

Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge of people; she skillfully selected assistants for herself, not being afraid of bright and talented people. That is why Catherine’s time was marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding statesmen, generals, writers, artists, musicians. In dealing with her subjects, Catherine was, as a rule, restrained, patient, and tactful. She was an excellent conversationalist and knew how to listen carefully to everyone. By her own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she was good at catching every sensible thought and using it for her own purposes. During the entire reign of Catherine there were practically no noisy resignations, none of the nobles were disgraced, exiled, much less executed. Therefore, there was an idea of Catherine’s reign as the “golden age” of the Russian nobility. At the same time, Catherine was very vain and valued her power more than anything else in the world. In order to preserve it, she is ready to make any compromises to the detriment of her beliefs.

Attitude to religion and the peasant question

Catherine was distinguished by ostentatious piety, considered herself the head and protector of the Russian Orthodox Church and skillfully used religion in her political interests. Her faith, apparently, was not very deep. In the spirit of the times, she preached religious tolerance. Under her, the persecution of Old Believers was stopped, Catholic and Protestant churches and mosques were built, but the transition from Orthodoxy to another faith was still severely punished.

Catherine was a staunch opponent of serfdom, considering it inhumane and contrary to human nature itself. Her papers contain many harsh statements on this matter, as well as discussions about various options elimination of serfdom. However, she did not dare to do anything concrete in this area due to a well-founded fear of a noble rebellion and another coup. At the same time, Catherine was convinced of the spiritual underdevelopment of Russian peasants and therefore in the danger of granting them freedom, believing that the life of peasants under caring landowners was quite prosperous.

Russian Empress Catherine II the Great was born on May 2 (April 21, old style), 1729 in the city of Stettin in Prussia (now the city of Szczecin in Poland), died on November 17 (November 6, old style), 1796 in St. Petersburg (Russia). The reign of Catherine II lasted more than three and a half decades, from 1762 to 1796. It was filled with many events in internal and external affairs, the implementation of plans that continued what was done under. The period of her reign is often called the "golden age" Russian Empire.

By Catherine II's own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she was good at catching every sensible thought and using it for her own purposes. She skillfully selected her assistants, not being afraid of bright and talented people. That is why Catherine’s time was marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding statesmen, generals, writers, artists, and musicians. Among them are the great Russian commander, Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, satirist Denis Fonvizin, outstanding Russian poet, Pushkin's predecessor Gabriel Derzhavin, Russian historian-historiographer, writer, creator of "History of the Russian State" Nikolai Karamzin, writer, philosopher, poet Alexander Radishchev , outstanding Russian violinist and composer, founder of Russian violin culture Ivan Khandoshkin, conductor, teacher, violinist, singer, one of the creators of Russian national opera Vasily Pashkevich, composer of secular and church music, conductor, teacher Dmitry Bortyansky.

In her memoirs, Catherine II characterized the state of Russia at the beginning of her reign:

Finances were depleted. The army did not receive pay for 3 months. Trade was in decline, because many of its branches were given over to monopoly. There was no correct system in the state economy. The War Department was plunged into debt; the sea barely held on, being in extreme neglect. The clergy was dissatisfied with the taking of his lands. Justice was sold at auction, and laws were followed only in cases where they favored the powerful.

The Empress formulated the tasks facing her as follows: Russian monarch:

“We need to educate the nation that is to be governed.”

— It is necessary to introduce good order in the state, support society and force it to comply with the laws.

— It is necessary to establish a good and accurate police force in the state.

— It is necessary to promote the flourishing of the state and make it abundant.

“We need to make the state formidable in itself and inspiring respect among its neighbors.”

Based on the assigned tasks, Catherine II carried out active reform activities. Her reforms affected almost all areas of life.

Convinced of the unsuitable management system, Catherine II carried out a Senate reform in 1763. The Senate was divided into 6 departments, losing its significance as the body that manages the state apparatus, and became the highest administrative and judicial institution.

Faced with financial difficulties, Catherine II in 1763-1764 carried out secularization (turning into secular property) church lands. 500 monasteries were abolished, and 1 million peasant souls were transferred to the treasury. Due to this, the state treasury was significantly replenished. This made it possible to ease the financial crisis in the country and pay off the army, which had not received a salary for a long time. The influence of the Church on the life of society has decreased significantly.

From the very beginning of her reign, Catherine II began to strive to achieve the internal structure of the state. She believed that injustices in the state could be eradicated with the help of good laws. And she decided to adopt new legislation instead of the Council Code of Alexei Mikhailovich of 1649, which would take into account the interests of all classes. For this purpose, the Statutory Commission was convened in 1767. 572 deputies represented the nobility, merchants, and Cossacks. Catherine tried to incorporate the ideas of Western European thinkers about a fair society into the new legislation. Having revised their works, she compiled the famous “Order of Empress Catherine” for the Commission. The "Mandate" consisted of 20 chapters, divided into 526 articles. It's about the need for strong autocratic power in Russia and the class structure of Russian society, about legality, about the relationship between law and morality, about the harm of torture and corporal punishment. The commission worked for more than two years, but its work was not crowned with success, since the nobility and the deputies themselves from other classes stood guard only for their rights and privileges.

In 1775, Catherine II made a clearer territorial division of the empire. The territory began to be divided into administrative units with a certain number of taxable (who paid taxes) population. The country was divided into 50 provinces with a population of 300-400 thousand each, the provinces into districts of 20-30 thousand inhabitants. The city was an independent administrative unit. Elective courts and “trial chambers” were introduced to deal with criminal and civil cases. Finally, “conscientious” courts for minors and the sick.

In 1785, the “Charter of Grant to Cities” was published. It determined the rights and responsibilities of the urban population and the management system in cities. Residents of the city elected a self-government body every 3 years - General city council, city mayor and judges.

Since the time of Peter the Great, when the entire nobility owed lifelong service to the state, and the peasantry the same service to the nobility, there have been gradual change. Catherine the Great, among other reforms, also wanted to bring harmony to the life of the classes. In 1785, the “Charter of Grant to the Nobility” was published, which was a code, a collection of noble privileges formalized by law. From now on, the nobility was sharply separated from other classes. The freedom of the nobility from paying taxes was confirmed, from compulsory service. Nobles could only be tried by a noble court. Only nobles had the right to own land and serfs. Catherine forbade the subjecting of nobles to corporal punishment. She believed that this would help the Russian nobility get rid of the servile mentality and acquire personal dignity.

These letters were ordered social structure Russian society, divided into five classes: nobility, clergy, merchants, philistines ("middle class of people") and serfs.

As a result of the educational reform in Russia during the reign of Catherine II, a secondary education system was created. In Russia, closed schools, educational homes, institutes for girls, nobles, and townspeople were created, in which experienced teachers were involved in the education and upbringing of boys and girls. In the province, a network of people's non-class two-class schools was created in counties and four-class schools in provincial cities. A classroom lesson system was introduced in schools (uniform start and end dates for classes), methods for teaching disciplines and educational literature, unified curricula were created. By the end of the 18th century in Russia there were 550 educational institutions With total number 60-70 thousand people.

Under Catherine, the systematic development of women's education began; in 1764, the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens and the Educational Society of Noble Maidens were opened. The Academy of Sciences has become one of the leading scientific bases in Europe. An observatory was founded physical office, anatomical theater, Botanical Garden, tool workshops, printing house, library, archive. The Russian Academy was founded in 1783.

Under Catherine II, the population of Russia increased significantly, hundreds of new cities were built, the treasury quadrupled, industry and Agriculture- Russia began to export bread for the first time.

Under her, paper money was introduced for the first time in Russia. On her initiative, the first smallpox vaccination was carried out in Russia (she herself set an example and became the first to be vaccinated).

Under Catherine II, as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars (1768-1774, 1787-1791), Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea, and the lands called Novorossiya were annexed: the Northern Black Sea region, Crimea, and the Kuban region. Accepted Eastern Georgia under Russian citizenship (1783). During the reign of Catherine II, as a result of the so-called partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795), Russia returned the Western Russian lands seized by the Poles.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Ekaterina Alekseevna Romanova (Catherine II the Great)
Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess, Duchess of Anhalt-Zerb.
Years of life: 04/21/1729 - 11/6/1796
Russian Empress (1762 – 1796)

Daughter of Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Johanna Elisabeth.

Catherine II - biography

Born April 21 (May 2), 1729 in Schettin. Her father, Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerb, served the Prussian king, but his family was considered impoverished. Sophia Augusta's mother was sister King Adolf Frederick of Sweden. Other relatives of the mother of the future Empress Catherine ruled Prussia and England. Sofia Augusta, (family nickname - Fike) was eldest daughter in family. She was educated at home.

In 1739, 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. Heir Russian throne made a negative impression on high 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 Pyotr Fedorovich took place. A brilliant political marriage turned out to be unsuccessful in terms of relationships. He was more formal. Her husband Peter was interested in playing the violin, military maneuvers and mistresses. During this time, the spouses not only did not become close, but also became complete strangers to each other.
Ekaterina Alekseevna read works on history, jurisprudence, works of various educators, learned the Russian language well, traditions and customs of her new homeland. Surrounded by enemies, not loved by her husband or his relatives, Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to a son (the future Emperor Paul I) in 1754, constantly fearing that she might be expelled from Russia. "I had good teachers“a misfortune with solitude,” she would write later. Sincere interest and love for Russia did not go unnoticed and everyone began to respect the wife of the heir to the throne. At the same time, Catherine amazed everyone with her hard work; she could personally brew her own coffee, light the fireplace, and even do her laundry.

Novels of Catherine the Great

Being unhappy in family life, in the early 1750s, Ekaterina Alekseevna begins an affair with guards officer Sergei Saltykov.

Peter's behavior III yet His royal aunt really doesn’t like his status as a Grand Duke; 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 (who later became King Stanislav Augustus).
In 1758, Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Anna, who died before she was even two years old.
In the early 1760s, a dizzying, famous romance arose with Prince Orlov, which lasted more than 10 years.

In 1761, Catherine's husband Peter III ascended the Russian throne, and relations between the spouses became hostile. Peter threatens to marry his mistress and send Catherine to a monastery. And Ekaterina Alekseevna decides to carry out a coup with the help of the guard, the Orlov brothers, K. Razumovsky and her other supporters on June 28, 1762. She is proclaimed empress and sworn allegiance to her. The spouse's attempts to find a compromise fail. As a result, he signs an act of abdication from the throne.

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 was 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 Orphanage in Russia. She reorganized the Senate (1763), secularized the lands (1763-64), abolished the hetmanate in Ukraine (1764) and founded the first women's educational institution in the capital at the Smolny Monastery. She headed the Statutory Commission 1767-1769. During her reign, the Peasants' War of 1773-1775 took place. (rebellion of E.I. Pugachev). Issued the Institution for governing the province in 1775, the Charter to the nobility in 1785 and the Charter to the cities in 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, and initiated the creation of the Academy of Russian Literature, of which she made her friend E.R. Dashkova the president.

Under Catherine II Alekseevna as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774, 1787-1791. Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea; the Northern Black Sea region, the Kuban region, and Crimea were also annexed. In 1783, she accepted Eastern Georgia under Russian citizenship. Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were carried out (1772, 1793, 1795).

She corresponded with Voltaire and other figures of the French Enlightenment. She is the author of many fictional, journalistic, dramatic, and popular science works, and “Notes.”

External politics of Catherine 2 was aimed at strengthening Russia's prestige 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, “all of Europe will tremble.”

In the last years of her life, the empress lived with concerns about her grandson Alexander, was personally involved in his upbringing and education, and seriously thought about transferring the throne to him, bypassing her son.

Reign of Catherine II

The era of Catherine II is considered the heyday of favoritism. Separated in the early 1770s. with G.G. Orlov, in subsequent years, Empress Catherine replaced a number of favorites (about 15 favorites, among them the talented princes P.A. Rumyantsev, G.A. Potemkin, A.A. Bezborodko). To participate in the decision political issues she didn't allow them. Catherine lived with her favorites for several years, but parted for a variety of reasons (due to the death of the favorite, his betrayal or unworthy behavior), but no one was disgraced. Everyone was generously awarded ranks, titles, and 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 people over. She was smart, had political talent, and had a great understanding of people. Outwardly, the ruler was attractive and majestic. She wrote about herself: “Many people 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 enormous dedication to 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 to the Russian throne, she wished well
And she strongly wanted to give her subjects Happiness, Freedom and Prosperity.
She easily forgave and did not deprive anyone of their freedom.
She was lenient, didn't make life difficult for herself, and had a cheerful disposition.
She had a republican soul and a kind heart. She had friends.
Work was easy for her, friendship and the arts brought her joy.

Catherine's spouses:

Peter III
Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin (according to some sources)

Pavel I Petrovich
Anna Petrovna
Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky
Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina

IN late XIX century, the collected works of Catherine II the Great were published in 12 volumes, which included children's moral tales written by the empress, pedagogical teachings, dramatic plays, articles, autobiographical notes, translations.

In cinema, her image is reflected in the films: “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”, 1961; "Royal Hunt", 1990; “Vivat, midshipmen!”, 1991; “Young Catherine”, 1991; "Russian Revolt", 2000; "Golden Age", 2003; "Catherine the Great", 2005. Famous actresses played the role of Catherine (Marlene Dietrich, Julia Ormond, Via Artmane, etc.).

Many artists captured the appearance of Catherine II. A works of art clearly reflect the character of the empress herself and the era of her reign (A. S. Pushkin “The Captain’s Daughter”; B. Shaw “ Great Catherine"; V. N. Ivanov “Empress Fike”; V. S. Pikul “Favorite”, “Pen and Sword”; Boris Akunin "Extracurricular reading").

In 1873 monument Catherine II Great 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 opened in Odessa and Tiraspol. In Sevastopol - May 15, 2008

The reign of Ekaterina Alekseevna is often considered the “golden age” of the Russian Empire. Thanks to her reform activities, she is the only Russian ruler who, like Peter I, was awarded the epithet “Great” in the historical memory of her compatriots.

The topic of this article is the biography of Catherine the Great. This empress reigned from 1762 to 1796. 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.

Origin and childhood of Catherine

The future empress was born on May 2 (new style - April 21), 1729 in Stettin. She was the daughter of Prince Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth. The future empress was related to the English, Prussian and Swedish royal houses. She received her education at home: she studied French and German languages, 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 appeared already in childhood. She was a persistent, inquisitive child and had a penchant for active, lively games.

Catherine's baptism and wedding

In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna to Russia. Here she was baptized according to Orthodox custom. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the bride of Peter Fedorovich, the Grand Duke (in the future - Emperor Peter III). She married him in 1745.

Hobbies of the Empress

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, there was no marital relationship between them for several years of marriage. Catherine was fond of reading works on jurisprudence, history and economics, as well as French enlighteners. Her worldview was shaped by all these books. 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 figure, like Catherine the Great: biography, her children, personal life - all this is the object of study 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. The biography (4th grade) from the school textbook omits, for example, her personal life.

Catherine II began an affair with S.V. in the early 1750s. Saltykov, guards officer. She gave birth to a son in 1754, the future Emperor Paul I. However, rumors that his father was Saltykov 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 surname 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 authority among the population of St. Petersburg and the high society of the capital.

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 possible deportation. The future empress carefully prepared the plot. She was supported by N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, K.G. Razumovsky, the Orlov brothers, etc. One night, from June 27 to 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg. She was proclaimed an 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. The residents of St. Petersburg greeted her with delight. Messengers were sent to Kronstadt and the army to prevent the actions of Peter III. Having learned about what happened, he began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, but she rejected them. The Empress personally came to St. Petersburg, leading guards regiments, and on the way received a written abdication from the throne of Peter III.

Personality and character of Catherine II

Not only the biography of Catherine the Great is interesting, but also her personality and character, which left an imprint on her inner and foreign policy. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge 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, and writers. Catherine was usually reserved, tactful, and patient in dealing with her subjects. She was an excellent conversationalist and could listen carefully to anyone. By the empress’s own admission, she did not have 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 reign of Catherine 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 in the world. She was ready to make any compromises to preserve it, including to the detriment of her own convictions.

Religiosity of the Empress

This empress was distinguished by her ostentatious piety. She considered herself the protector of the Orthodox Church and its head. Catherine skillfully used religion for political interests. Apparently her faith was not very deep. The biography of Catherine the Great is noted for 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, conversion to another faith from Orthodoxy was still severely punished.

Catherine - opponent of serfdom

Catherine the Great, whose biography interests us, was an ardent opponent of serfdom. She considered it contrary to human nature and inhumane. Quite a few harsh statements this issue preserved in her papers. Also in them you can find her thoughts on how serfdom can be eliminated. Nevertheless, the empress did not dare to do anything concrete in this area for fear of another coup and noble rebellion. Catherine, at the same time, was convinced that 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 under caring landowners.

First reforms

When Catherine ascended 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, gradualism and consideration of public sentiment 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 became more efficient as a result. The following year, 1764, Catherine the Great carried out the secularization of church lands. The biography for children of this empress, presented on the pages of school textbooks, necessarily introduces schoolchildren to this fact. Secularization significantly replenished the treasury and also alleviated the situation of many peasants. Catherine in Ukraine abolished 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 develop the Black Sea and Volga regions.

Foundation of educational institutions and the new Code

During these 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 being convened to create a new Code. It consisted of elected deputies, representatives of all social groups of society, except serfs. For the commission, Catherine wrote “Instructions,” which is, in essence, 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 during these discussions, as well as the low level of political culture among many deputies and the conservatism of most of them. The established commission was dissolved at the end of 1768. The Empress assessed this experience as an important lesson, which introduced her to the sentiments of various segments of the state's population.

Development of legislative acts

After the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, ended, and the Pugachev uprising was suppressed, the new stage Catherine's reforms. The Empress herself began to develop the most important legislative acts. In particular, a manifesto was issued in 1775, according to which it was allowed to establish any industrial enterprises without restrictions. 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 “Brief biography of Catherine the Great,” we note that in 1785 the Empress issued the most important legislative acts. These were letters of grant to cities and nobility. A letter was also prepared for 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 according to the model Western Europe. The diploma meant for the Russian nobility the legal consolidation of almost all the privileges and rights that they had.

The last and unimplemented reforms proposed by Catherine the Great

Biography ( summary) of the empress we are interested in is marked by the fact that she carried out various reforms until her death. For example, education reform continued into the 1780s. Catherine the Great, whose biography is presented in this article, created a network of school institutions in cities based on the classroom system. Empress in last years continued to plan major changes in her life. Reform central control was scheduled for 1797, as well as the introduction of legislation in the country on the order of succession to the throne, the creation of a higher court based on representation from the 3 estates. However, Catherine II the Great did not have time to complete the extensive reform program. Her short biography, however, would be incomplete if we did not mention all this. In general, all these reforms were a continuation of the transformations begun by Peter I.

Catherine's foreign policy

What else is interesting about the biography of Catherine 2 the Great? The Empress, following Peter, believed that Russia should be active on the world stage and pursue an offensive policy, even to some extent aggressive. After her accession to the throne, she tore alliance treaty with Prussia, concluded Peter III. Thanks to the efforts of this empress, it was possible to restore Duke E.I. Biron on the Courland throne. Supported by Prussia, in 1763 Russia achieved the election of Stanislav August Poniatowski, its protege, to the Polish throne. This, in turn, led to a deterioration in relations with Austria due to the fact that it feared the strengthening of Russia and began to incite Turkey to war with it. In general, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was successful for Russia, but the difficult situation within the country prompted it to seek peace. And for this it was necessary to restore previous relations with Austria. Eventually a compromise was reached. Poland fell victim to it: its first division was carried out in 1772 by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

The Kyuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was signed with Turkey, which ensured the independence of Crimea, beneficial for Russia. Empire in the war between England and the colonies North America took neutrality. Catherine refused to help with troops to the English king. A number of European states joined the Declaration of Armed Neutrality, created on Panin’s initiative. This contributed to the victory of the colonists. In subsequent years, the position of our country in the Caucasus and Crimea was strengthened, which ended with the inclusion of the latter into the Russian Empire in 1782, as well as the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk with Irakli II, the Kartli-Kakheti king, 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. The main goal it was the restoration of the Byzantine Empire and the announcement of Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, who was the grandson of Catherine II, as emperor. In 1779, Russia significantly strengthened its authority in the international arena by 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 Crimea. It became a demonstration military power Russia.

Wars with Turkey and Sweden, further divisions of Poland

The biography of Catherine 2 the Great continued with the fact that she started a new Russian-Turkish war. Russia now acted 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 Peace of Jassy was signed in 1792. He consolidated Russia's influence in Transcaucasia 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 whom we examined, died on November 17 (old style - November 6), 1796 in St. Petersburg. So significant is her contribution to Russian history that the memory of Catherine II is preserved by 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 - creators of such films as “The Caprice of Catherine II”, “The Tsar’s Hunt”, “Young Catherine”, “Dreams of Russia”, “ Russian revolt" and others.

The history of relationships between Russian Empress Catherine II and men no less than hers government activity. Many of Catherine's favorites were not only lovers, but also major statesmen.

Favoritism and Catherine's childrenII

The development of relationships between the rulers of European countries and the opposite sex in the 17th century. XVIII centuries created the institution of favoritism. However, you need to distinguish between favorites and lovers. The title of favorite was practically a court one, but was not included in the “table of ranks.” In addition to pleasures and rewards, this brought the need to fulfill certain state duties.

It is believed that Catherine II had 23 lovers, and not every one of them can be called a favorite. Most European sovereigns changed sexual partners much more often. It was they, the Europeans, who created the legend about the depravity of the Russian Empress. On the other hand, you can’t call her chaste either.

It is generally accepted that the future Catherine II, who came to Russia at the invitation of Empress Elizabeth, was married in 1745 to Grand Duke Peter, an impotent man who was not interested in the charms of his young wife. But he was interested in other women and periodically changed them, however, nothing is known about his children from his mistresses.

About children Grand Duchess, and then Empress Catherine II, more is known, but even more unconfirmed rumors and assumptions:

There are not that many children, especially given that not all of them necessarily belonged to Catherine the Great.

How Catherine diedII

Versions of death (November 17, 1796) great empress there are several. Their authors never cease to mock the sexual irrepressibility of the empress, as always “not seeing the beam in their own eye.” Some of the versions are simply full of hatred and clearly fabricated, most likely, by revolutionary France, which hates absolutism, or by its other enemies:

The Empress died during sexual intercourse with a stallion raised above her on ropes. Allegedly, it was he who was crushed.
The Empress died while having an affair with a wild boar.
Catherine the Great was killed in the back by a Pole while relieving herself in the toilet.
Catherine, with her own weight, broke a toilet seat in the toilet, which she had made from the throne of the Polish king.

These myths are completely baseless and have nothing to do with Russian Empress. There is an opinion that impartial versions of death could have been invented and disseminated at court by the son who hated the empress, the future Emperor Paul I.

The most reliable versions of death are:

Catherine died on the second day after she suffered a severe heart attack.
The cause of death was a stroke (apoplexy), which found the empress in the restroom. In painful agony, without regaining consciousness for about 3 hours, Empress Catherine died.
Paul organized the murder (or untimely provision of first aid) of the empress. While the empress was in her death throes, her son Paul found and destroyed the will transferring power to his son Alexander.
An additional version of death is the gallbladder ruptured during a fall.

The official and generally accepted version when determining the causes of the empress’s death is a stroke, but what actually happened is not known or has not been conclusively proven.

Empress Catherine II the Great was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

The personal life and death of people of great importance for the history of the state always gives rise to a lot of speculation and rumors. The corrupted “free” Europe, as soon as it saw the results of European “enlightenment” in Russia, tried to prick, humiliate, and insult the “wild” one. How many favorites and lovers there were, how many children Catherine the Great had are not the most important questions for understanding the essence of her reign. What is more important for history is what the empress did during the day, not at night.