Catherine II "The Great" (1729-1796)

[Grace Angel]

There have been books now that focus on the more positive aspects of Peter's rule, or at least look at the possibility. But I do think he wasn't the right ruler for Russia, if only because he clearly hated the place, that was no lie. He could easily have been a good ruler back in Germany perhaps, as that was the country that was clearly his native land to him. In the end Catharine was the best thing for Russia, and she fit in with the tradition of Empresses left there before she ruled by Elizabeth and others, although she was a better ruler than any of them.

[AGRBear]

Just pulled out of the mail box Simon S. Montefiore's book POTEMKIN.

After describing a scene of marriage p. 137, Montefiore wrote:
>>This is the legend of Potemkin and Catherine's wedding. There is no conclusive proof that they married, but it almost certain they did. However, secret marriage have always been the stuff of royal myth<<

Yep, they did, BUT, maybe they didn't.....

AGRBear

[Al_bina]

Scandalous Women: Catherine the Great and Potemkin
Russian and Soviet history: from the ... - Google Book Search(some facts and analysis of the relationships between Catherine II and Prince Potemkin)

Going back to playing with dolls ... As mentioned by Francis Gribble in "The comedy of Catherine the Great", "Peter was a young barbarian with the manners of an unlicked cub... he was of a temper alternately violent and sulky, addicted to practical jokes in a society of ladies, spent most of his time in playing at soldiers with his valets, and a good deal of the rest of it playing with dolls and toys" (p.17). It is rather unfortunate that Russians had and have no appreciations Peter III's strategic whim ...

[AGRBear]

It was explained earlier on this thread that the dolls were military figures (some tin soldiers and small while others were almost life size). These so-called "dolls" were used in Peter II's learning exercises in military tactics. Catherine II and those who helped her to the throne and supplied evidence that she had no choice but usurp Peter III, often leave off the rest of the story.

AGRBear

[Grace Angel]

Originally Posted by AGRBear

Just pulled out of the mail box Simon S. Montefiore's book POTEMKIN.

After describing a scene of marriage p. 137, Montefiore wrote:
>>This is the legend of Potemkin and Catherine's wedding. There is no conclusive proof that they married, but it almost certain they did. However, secret marriage have always been the stuff of royal myth<<

Yep, they did, BUT, maybe they didn't.....

AGRBear

I doubt anyone will ever know for sure- I suppose book authors like this one don't know which way to go with it. Unless hard evidence of their alleged marriage is ever found, it will always be a legend.

[Kasumi]

The monument of the Empress Catherine the Great was unveiled in Zerbst, Eastern Germany on July 9th 2010.
The five-meter-tall bronze statue of Catherine, born a German Lutheran princess whose name was Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg before she married the Russian emperor Peter III, was created by the Russian sculptor Mikhail Pereyaslavtsev. After her husband’s death, Catherine ruled Russia for thirty-four years. - Golos Rossii
Vladimir Teslenko, who has Russian-Ukrainian roots, has lived in the Saxony-Anhalt town of 23,000 for the past 21 years. When he arrived in 1989, he was stunned to find there was no memorial to the German-born czarina, who spent her childhood there. That prompted him to start his booster club called “Katharina II” in 1992 with the aim of preserving a bit of Zerbst's history and improving Russian-German relations.
In fact, the 4.7-metre stone memorial worth €230,000 is a gift to Zerbst from Russia, carved there by sculptor Mikhail Pereyaslavets. - The Local.de
*Pic 1* *Pic 2* *Pic 3*

[Vasillisos Markos]

Kasumi,

thank you for posting the photographs. Impressive looking statue of Catherine the Great--she was a stunner!

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Kasumi,
thank you for posting the photographs. Impressive looking statue of Catherine the Great--she was a stunner!

You are welcome!
The Empress Catherine is one of the most beloved royals in Russia and other post-USSR countries nowadays.

[Anne83]

Catherine the Great and also the Romanovs are the most beloved
Their fate was their ticket to enter immortality

[Royal Fan]

she was a very interesting Woman and in many ways a very sucessful Ruler imho

[Yekaterina]

yekaterina was the greatest empress ever. we were blessed to have her. bring back the old times soon!!!!

[IloveCP]

Was she the only female ruler of Russia?

[Lenora]

Originally Posted by IloveCP

Was she the only female ruler of Russia?

No,she wasn't the only one.Though she was the greatest and the wisest female ruler Russia ever had,she was not the only one.
Before Catherine the ruler was the aunt of her husband,Elizabeth of Russia(1709-1761),the daughter of Peter the Great of Russia .Before Elizabeth the apparent ruler was Anna of Russia(1693-1740).But only Catherine put a specific European imprint and started reforms.
Before these modern rules there were attempts of female reign in the person of the Peter the Great's stepsister Tsarevna Sofia Alexeevna,but she was forced to abdicate by Peter and sent to monastery for the rest of her life.
The first well-known female ruler of Russia was The Saint Princess Olga,the grand-mother of Prince Vladimir ,the Prince who christened Russia.
Elizabeth of Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anna of Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olga of Kiev - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[IloveCP]

Thank you for the research.

[Burzg]

cathreine for russia , is Katrina

[Lenora]

Originally Posted by Burzg

cathreine for russia , is Katrina

Not Katrina,but Ekaterina or Katerina

[Burzg]

Originally Posted by Lenora

Not Katrina,but Ekaterina or Katerina

what i said ???

[Grandduchess24]

Wait really because I throught that Catherine in Russian was ekaterina

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by Grandduchess24

Wait really because I throught that Catherine in Russian was ekaterina

You're correct.

[Grandduchess24]

Catherine the great was born princess Sophie of anhalt zerbst , who married her cousin Peter III a nephew of the czarina Elizabeth and became rulers until Peter III was killed and became czarina by herself and was succeeded by her son Paul.