Catherine the Great

Image by Elizaveta Ermakova via dailyartmagazine.com

Hey, you! (And everyone else, I suppose;) How are you today? I’m doing well, and so is the feisty female we are interviewing today! She is not someone you might have foreseen running a grand empire like Russia, yet she did it anyway and became known as great. Let’s give a hand for Catherine the Great, empress of Russia!

Thank you, Erin, for inviting me here today. It was gracious of you to consider me when you looked for strong women in history.

Yes, we might call you feisty.

That, too.

Well, Catherine, shall we get started with the interview? Can you tell us about your childhood?

I was born Sophia Augusta Frederica to Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. While I am sure they took some pride in me, they wanted a son, so they did not show much affection for me. Honestly, I never wanted to stay in Germany; it simply was not my home. When my mother, Princess Johanna, received a letter from Empress Elizabeth of Russia when I was nearly fifteen, I was ecstatic. The empress wanted me to wed her nephew, Peter III!

What did your parents think of the idea?

Both my parents were wary of accepting the invitation. My father was a devout Lutheran and he did not want me to convert to Russian Orthodoxy; my mother was worried that Russia was unstable, full of drunkards and assassins. However, I was less Lutheran than my father and less afraid than my mother. I persuaded them to let me go. After all, it was the opportunity of a lifetime!

So, you went to Russia. What happened there?

Before I left Germany for Russia, I made up my mind to do whatever was necessary to win the hearts of the Russians so that I might wear the Russian crown. When I reached Moscow, I was assigned three instructors. One was to help me learn the Russian language, one was to help me learn the Russian Orthodox faith, and one was for Russian dancing. I was so determined to be as Russian as possible that I would slip out during the night and practice in the cold. Of course, I was not well-versed in the Russian climate. I ended up getting incredibly sick thirteen days after my arrival.

Oh, no! Obviously, you got better... but what happened during your sickness?

I had symptoms of pleurisy, which was an inflammation of the lining around my lungs. My doctors wanted to bleed me, but my mother refused to let them. Then, Empress Elizabeth just went ahead and had them bleed me. I was bled up to four times a day. When I appeared close to dying, my mother asked if I would like to see a Lutheran priest, but I asked for an Orthodox priest. After that, the Russians knew that I was sincere. Beyond this, my sickness actually helped me get more insight into the Russian way of life; when I faked being sick, I heard secrets that I never would have heard otherwise.

What happened after you got well?

I was confirmed in the Orthodox faith, and they changed my name from Sophia to Ekaterina, or Catherine, as you would say. They changed my name because of the evil Sophia Alexeivna, who was a notorious royal in Russian history.

Was your marriage to Peter III a happy one?

Oh, no! He was ugly, for one thing, after smallpox marred his features. Also, before we were wed he told me to my face that he preferred other women to me. After the wedding, Peter had many mistresses while I had many lovers. The people doubted that my son, Paul, was actually his. And my two other children were not his. Furthermore, Peter was despised by the people, unlike I. The more they hated Peter, the more afraid I grew for my safety.

What happened after they began to hate Peter?

I could either remain at Peter’s side and share his miserable fate, or I could otherthrow my husband. I chose the latter. After Peter openly mocked me for not toasting to my own health, the Russian people honored my dignity, but despised Peter all the more for abusing me. He then ordered my arrest, but I was smarter than him.

How did you overthrow him?

A coup put me on the throne. A week after I became empress, I received word that Peter was dead by a brain hemorrhage brought on my colic. I was satisfied with the explanation, not investigating or punishing anyone for his death.

Now that you were empress, what did you do?

I reigned for thirty-one years, earning the title ‘Great’ for everything I accomplished.

What did you accomplish?

I built as many schools as Russia could afford and modeled them after Western schools. I build an academy for art and architecture. I built more and bigger hospitals. I gradually brought the Russian Orthodox church under government control. I wrote the Nakaz, which was a guide for reforming Russia’s legal code.

Wow! Your life was amazing. What is one piece of advice you would like to give our readers today?

I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.

Thank you so much for your time, Empress Catherine! It was a pleasure talking to you today. Let’s give this feisty female a round of applause, shall we? *cue applause* If you enjoyed today’s interview, be sure to tell your family and friends about it! Subscribe down below. #fiestyfemalesinhistory

Bibliography

“Catherine the Great Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Advameg, Inc, https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Catherine-the-Great.html.

“Catherine the Great Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/catherine-the-great-quotes.

Nalle, Julia. “Chapter 20: The Seven Years’ War; Catherine the Great.” The Biblioplan Companion Year 3: A Text for Early Modern History, edited by Rob Nalle, Biblioplan, Palmyra, VA, 2014, pp. 479–485.