1729-1796+Catherine+the+Great

(Catherine the Great's coronation portrait) (Catherine the Great with her husband, Peter III, and son, Paul) __Biography__ -born Princess Sophia August Frederika=May 2, 1729 [Stettin (Baltic seaport town)=>part of German Pomerania] -father=obscure German military pinceling=Christian August -mother=Princess Joanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp -father-nominal ruler of pincipality Anhalt-Zerbst -father-greater part of life=Prussian officer -Elizabeth I of Russia-engaged to Karl August (Joanna's brother) before ascending throne -Elizabeth I of Russia-early 1740s searching for wife for nephew (& hier) Peter=>thought of Catherine nee Sophia -Elizabeth I of Russia-summoned Sophia & mother to Russia=late 1743 -Elizabeth I of Russia-summoned Sophia & mother to Russia-approved of by Prussian King Frederick -Elizabeth I of Russia-actually met Sophia on Feb 9, 1744=immediately started preparing for marriage to Peter=>re-christened Catherine -Peter-sickly, mean spirited, not prepared to take throne (mentally & physically) -Peter-unable to make babies w/ Catherine=>pressured by Elizabeth to produce son=>Catherine allowed to have affair w/ Serge Saltykov (Russian officer)=>son=Paul -Peter-Paul accepted by Peter as own child=>raised by Elizabeth as her own -Peter-Catherine & Peter hated each other -Peter-death of Elizabeth=Dec 25, 1761=Peter becomes Peter III -Peter-obsessed with Prussia=formed alliance w/ Prussia -Peter-obsessed wth Prussia-modelled army after Prussian army-right down to uniforms=>armed forces turned against him -Peter-general population disliked Peter -Catherine disposed of Peter=June 28, 1762=ascended throne -crowned as 'the most pious and Orthodox Empress, Catherine'=Sept 22, 1762 @ Moscow Kremlin -lover (Orlov), brother other men assasinated Peter months before -gifted supporters w/ lands, money, serfs -wanted to put French & ancient Roman standards into play (government)=difficult to do -slipped into autocracy=continued ruin of Orthodox Church=>took wealth & changed priests, etc. into state employees -built monuments across Russia & transformed St. Petersburg->European city, Imperial pretensions -patronized arts, music, education=>sponsored creation of Hermitage collection -took many lovers-rmor: later lover (Potemkin) & her secretly married in Church of St. Samson, St. Petersburg -Paul=mutual hatred -planned to pass crown on to Alexander (Paul's son)=didn't make proper arrangements in time=died Nov 6, 1796 b/c heart attack=crown passed on to Paul __//what?//__ //did this person do that affected and/or changed hsitory?// //might they have done different?// //might life be like if they hadn't done this?// __//where?//__ //specific name then and nowis this place in relation to places of significance today?// __//why?//__ //do we remember?// //is this important?// //how does it connect to things of today?// -modernized/opened up future for Russia -built wonderful, lasting monuments -sponsored the creation of world treasures -might have never married Peter III -might have simply followed Peter's wishes blindly -might have passed on crown to Paul instead of taking it on herself -Russia & and the world, through connection, might be a very different place -Russia might still be old fashioned/in the style of the Prussians=>less developed world(?) -Russia, the country (still exists today); Prussia=part of Germany now -St. Petersburg: 1914=Patrograd; 1924=Leningrad; 1991=St. Petersburg (in Russia) -we remember b/c Catherine made a lot of important changes that lasted and carried on through her death to future generations -Catherine made a lot of changes that opened up the future for Russia; modernized Russia, in a way [] Images: [] [] []
 * //__Catherine the Great (1729-1796) nee Princess Sophia August Frederika__//**
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