Catherine II of Russia facts for kids
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Catherine II of Russia (Also titled Catherine the Great or Yekaterina Aleksei'evna) (April 21, 1729, Stettin, Germany – November 17, 1796 Tsarskoye Selo, Russia) was Empress of Russia. She came to power by a Coup d'état that deposed her husband, who was killed.
Catherine greatly increased the power of the crown. In wars against the Ottoman Empire and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth she conquered much land in the west and south. During Catherine's rule, Russia became a strong power in Europe.
Contents
Early life
Catherine was born in Stettin, which was a part of the Kingdom of Prussia at the time. She was the daughter of Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. She had five brothers and sisters. She married Peter III (who, like Catherine, was German) at age fifteen, and became empress of Russia at age 32. She was educated in three languages (Russian, German and French). She grew up as a Lutheran (Protestant). When she married Peter, she changed to the Russian Orthodox church.
Marriage
Catherine's marriage was said to be unfaithful and distraught. Peter and Catherine were each said to have several lovers. After they had been married nine years, Catherine bore a son, Paul. Paul was born on 1 October [O.S. 20 September] 1754. Both parents accepted him as legitimate, even though there had been rumors about Catherine having been unfaithful. Catherine also had a daughter Anna, born in 1757. Anna died in 1759. Catherine and Peter had a very difficult relationship. When Peter died, Catherine was left to rule Russia on her own. Catherine had many lovers, probably because of the difficult marriage. Over twenty lovers are known. A few of these seem to be more important:
- Count Serge Saltykov was her first lover, and was probably the father of Paul
- Count Stanisław August Poniatowski was made king of Poland, because of Catherine's help
- Count Grigory Orlov was one of the leading figures of the coup against Peter III, together with his brother Alexey Grigoryevich Orlov. They also gave Catherine the Orlov diamond as a gift. This diamond was later put into the Russian sceptre.
- Prince Grigory Potyomkin was very successful in the military forces. He started the Black Sea Fleet, founded cities such as Sevastopol or Kherson. He is said to have been Catherine's true love. The two are said to even have married in secret.
- Count Platon Zubov was her last love. When she died, aged 67, he was not even 40 years old.
Reign
Six months after Peter took the throne, Catherine led a palace coup to overthrow him. The question of who killed him and why is still much discussed. Catherine was greatly admired by the public. She was much involved in foreign affairs, including successful Russo-Turkish Wars which conquered new territories for Russia.
Death
Catherine suffered a stroke on 16 November [O.S. 5 November] 1796. Due to the stroke, she lost consciousness. She died in her bed at 9:20 the following evening, while she was still unconscious. Catherine was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg.
Images for kids
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Young Catherine soon after her arrival in Russia, by Louis Caravaque
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Portrait of the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseyevna (the future Catherine the Great) around the time of her wedding, by Georg Christoph Grooth, 1745
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Equestrian portrait of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseyevna
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Tsar Peter III and his wife, the future Catherine the Great. He reigned only six months, and died on 17 July 1762.
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Catherine II on a balcony of the Winter Palace on 9 July [O.S. 28 June] 1762, the day of the coup
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Alexander Bezborodko, the chief architect of Catherine's foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin
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Equestrian portrait of Catherine in the Preobrazhensky Regiment's uniform, by Vigilius Eriksen
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Monument to the founders of Odessa: Catherine and her companions José de Ribas, François Sainte de Wollant, Platon Zubov and Grigory Potemkin
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Catherine extended the borders of the Russian Empire southward to absorb the Crimean Khanate
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A 1791 caricature by James Gillray of an attempted mediation between Catherine the Great (on the right, supported by Austria and France) and the Ottoman Empire. William Pitt the Younger is shown in armour riding George III, his horse.
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The partitions of Poland, carried out by Russia, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg monarchy in 1772, 1793 and 1795
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A 5-kopeck coin bearing the monogram of Catherine the Great and the Imperial coat of arms, dated 1791
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A satire on Catherine's morals and on the Russo-Turkish war, from 1791
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Marble statue of Catherine II in the guise of Minerva (1789–1790), by Fedot Shubin
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The throne of Empress Catherine II in the Winter Palace
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The inauguration of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in 1757
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Portrait of Catherine II
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The Bolshoi Theatre in the early 19th century
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Catherine visits Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov
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Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova, the closest female friend of Empress Catherine and a major figure of the Russian Enlightenment
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The Moscow Orphanage
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The Smolny Institute, the first Russian Institute for Noble Maidens and the first European state higher education institution for women
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Catherine II in the Russian national costume
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Bashkir riders from the Ural steppes
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Russian Empire in 1792
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St. Catherine Cathedral in Kingisepp, an example of Late Baroque architecture
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Count Grigory Orlov, by Fyodor Rokotov
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Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski, the last King of Poland
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1794 portrait of Catherine, aged approximately 65, with the Chesme Column in the Catherine Park in Tsarskoye Selo in the background
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Catherine's last favourite, Platon Zubov
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Monument to Catherine the Great in Saint Petersburg, surrounded by prominent persons of her era
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See also
In Spanish: Catalina II de Rusia para niños
