Catherine the Great
This article is about the Russian empress, for the prince abbess of Buchau see Katharina von Spaur.
Catherine the Great is a redirect to this article. For other meanings, see Catherine the Great (disambiguation).
Catherine II. , called Catherine the Great (Russian: Екатерина Великая/Jekaterina Welikaja; * 2 May 1729 as Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst in Stettin; † 6 Novemberjul. / 17 November 1796greg. in Saint Petersburg), was Empress of Russia from 9 July 1762 and Lady of Jever from 1793. She is the only ruler to have been given the epithet the Great in historiography. Catherine II is a representative of enlightened absolutism.
Catherine II of Russia (1780s) 
Descendants
The following children came from the marriage with Peter III:
- Pavel (Paul) Petrovich (* 20 Septemberjul. / 1 October 1754greg. in St. Petersburg; † 12 Marchjul. / 24 March 1801greg. ibid.), was Duke of Holstein-Gottorf from 1762 to 1773 and Emperor of Russia from 1796 to 1801.
- Anna Petrovna (* 9. December 1757; † 9. March 1759)
From the connection with Grigory Orlov originate (the daughters were officially considered adopted daughters of Orlov, Catherine's maternity is disputed):
- Natalya Alexeyeva (1758-1808), ⚭ 1777 Frederick of Buxhoeveden (1750-1811), Russian general of infantry.
- Yelizaveta (Elizabeth) Alexeyeva (1760-1844), ⚭ 1787 Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (1752-1831), poet and playwright.
- Alexei Grigorievich (1762-1813), ⚭ 1796 Anna Dorothea von Ungern-Sternberg (1769-1846)
Monuments
In memory of Catherine II there are numerous monuments, for example:
- in Odessa with the decree for the establishment of the port and the city in hand
- in Marx: the monument to Catherine II was erected by Volga Germans in 1851, melted down in 1941 and rebuilt in 2007 according to original designs.
- in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt in front of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, designed in 1873 by the sculptors M. Mikeshin, M. Chizhov and A. Opekushin; the pedestal is surrounded by figures of outstanding personalities of the second half of the 18th century: A. Suvorov, A. Rumyantsev, G. Dershavin, Y. Dashkova, G. Potyomkin
- in Zerbst: In 2009, the sculptor Michael Wladimirowitsch Perejaslawez made a larger-than-life bronze monument depicting Catherine II and portraying her as a young princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. The bronze statue, which is almost five metres tall, stands on a pedestal in front of the baroque town hall (former riding hall). The ceremonial inauguration of the monument took place on 9 July 2010, the day on which she converted from the Evangelical Lutheran to the Orthodox faith in 1744.
Questions and Answers
Q: Who was Catherine II of Russia?
A: Catherine II of Russia (also titled Catherine the Great or Yekaterina Aleksei'evna) was Empress of Russia.
Q: When and where was she born?
A: She was born on April 21, 1729 in Stettin, Germany.
Q: How did she come to power?
A: She came to power by a coup d'état that deposed her husband, who was killed.
Q: What changes did she make during her rule?
A: During her rule, she greatly increased the power of the crown and expanded Russian territory through wars against the Ottoman Empire and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This made Russia a strong power in Europe.
Q: Where did Catherine die?
A: She died on November 17, 1796 in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia.
Q: What title is given to Catherine II of Russia?
A: She is also known as Catherine the Great or Yekaterina Aleksei'evna.
