Catherine 2 the Great, mistress and empress of all Rus', née Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, was born on May 2, 1729 in the city of Stettin, now the territory of Poland.

Catherine was the daughter of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, a small principality in the territory of the former Prussia, now a German principality. Catherine's mother, Johanna Elisabeth, was a cousin of the Russian Tsar (future at that time) Peter III.

For the first half of her life, Catherine the Great lived at the palace of the Duke of Zerbst, where she received her excellent, varied education: she was fluent in several languages ​​- French, Italian, English - she also knew how to dance, play music, was well versed in the basics of geography and history, as well as knew theology. As a child, Catherine the Great was playful and restless, but this only made her father’s house more lively and cheerful.

In 1743, the opportunity arose to marry Catherine to the future Russian emperor - Elizaveta Petrovna, the mother of Peter 3, was selecting daughters-in-law. In 1744, Catherine and her mother were invited to the Russian court, but the first acquaintance with her future husband took place in 1739 at Eitinsky Castle.

Finding herself in an unfamiliar country, Catherine the Great had to study many disciplines in order to quickly integrate into the rhythm and way of life of her new Russian family. She studied the Russian language, Orthodoxy and its traditions, as well as history, which gave her the opportunity to fall in love with Tsarist Russia, as if into her own home, which contributed to the rapid assimilation of young Catherine. In 1745, Catherine and Peter got married, but His Majesty cared little about his young wife - there was a chill in their relationship already in the first stages of the marriage, so later everyone began to live their own lives.

Catherine the Great was actively involved in education, rode horses, visited museums, masquerades and organized them herself. The age of the empress's reign is also called the “Golden Age” or the century of high development of art. In 1754, Catherine the Great gave birth to a son, Pavel, who later became Emperor Paul 1. Catherine’s mother-in-law, Elizaveta Petrovna, was involved in raising the child. In 1758, Catherine the Great gave birth to a girl, Anna, her second child, but there are several inaccuracies and secrets in the personal life of the imperial family, so it cannot be said with certainty that Anna was the blood heir of Peter 3.

Peter 3 did not enjoy noticeable popularity among Russian people, and he was not very respected at court, so Catherine the Great plotted for a long time to deprive her husband of the throne. With the support of officers, on July 9, 1762, Catherine the Great carried out a coup d'etat and seized power, but the people were not against it and even accepted Catherine’s coronation with deep respect in October of the same year.

During the entire period of her reign, Catherine the Great brought about many successful reforms. From under her hand came such popular and high-quality reforms as changes in public administration and structure of the empire, as well as increased strength navy and the army, an active foreign policy, in particular on the annexation of the lands of Crimea, Kuban and the Black Sea region, a significant part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural side of the life of the empire did not go unnoticed - the arts, education, libraries and printing houses actively developed, and many educational institutions. French educators often came to the Russian Empire, and she personally corresponded with Voltaire.

The policies and reforms of Catherine the Great were not one hundred percent positive. Remember at least the consequences internal changes: restriction of the rights of the serf population, active support of privileges noble class, active struggle against dissent (Pugachev uprising in 1773-75).

The Great Empress died in November 1796 from a stroke in the Winter Palace. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

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The topic of this article is the biography of Catherine the Great. This empress reigned from 1762 to 1796. The era of her reign was marked by the enslavement of the peasants. Also, Catherine the Great, whose biography, photos and activities are presented in this article, significantly expanded the privileges of the nobility.

Origin and childhood of Catherine

The future empress was born on May 2 (new style - April 21), 1729 in Stettin. She was the daughter of Prince Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth. The future empress was related to English, Prussian and Swedish royal houses. She received her education at home: she studied French and German languages, music, theology, geography, history, and danced. Expanding on such a topic as the biography of Catherine the Great, we note that the independent character of the future empress appeared already in childhood. She was a persistent, inquisitive child and had a penchant for active, lively games.

Catherine's baptism and wedding

In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna to Russia. Here she was baptized according to Orthodox custom. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the bride of Peter Fedorovich, Grand Duke (in the future - Emperor Peter III). She married him in 1745.

Hobbies of the Empress

Catherine wanted to win the favor of her husband, the Empress and the Russian people. Her personal life, however, was unsuccessful. Since Peter was infantile, there was no marital relationship between them for several years of marriage. Catherine was fond of reading works on jurisprudence, history and economics, as well as French educators. Her worldview was shaped by all these books. The future empress became a supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the traditions, customs and history of Russia.

Personal life of Catherine II

Today we know quite a lot about such an important historical figure as Catherine the Great: biography, her children, personal life- all this is the object of study by historians and the interest of many of our compatriots. We first meet this empress at school. However, what we learn in history lessons is far from full information about such an empress as Catherine the Great. The biography (4th grade) from the school textbook omits, for example, her personal life.

Catherine II began an affair with S.V. in the early 1750s. Saltykov, guards officer. She gave birth to a son in 1754, the future Emperor Paul I. However, rumors that his father was Saltykov are unfounded. In the second half of the 1750s, Catherine had an affair with S. Poniatowski, a Polish diplomat who later became King Stanislav August. Also in the early 1760s - with G.G. Orlov. The Empress gave birth to his son Alexei in 1762, who received the surname Bobrinsky. As relations with her husband deteriorated, Catherine began to fear for her fate and began to recruit supporters at court. Her sincere love for her homeland, her prudence and ostentatious piety - all this contrasted with the behavior of her husband, which allowed the future empress to gain authority among the population of St. Petersburg and the high society of the capital.

Proclamation of Catherine as Empress

Catherine's relationship with her husband continued to deteriorate during the 6 months of his reign, eventually becoming hostile. Peter III openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova. There was a threat of Catherine's arrest and possible deportation. The future empress carefully prepared the plot. She was supported by N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, K.G. Razumovsky, the Orlov brothers, etc. One night, from June 27 to 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg. She was proclaimed an autocratic empress in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment. Other regiments soon joined the rebels. The news of the empress's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city. The residents of St. Petersburg greeted her with delight. Messengers were sent to Kronstadt and the army to prevent the actions of Peter III. Having learned about what happened, he began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, but she rejected them. The Empress personally set out for St. Petersburg, leading the guards regiments, and on the way received a written abdication of the throne by Peter III.

Read more about the palace coup

As a result of a palace coup on July 9, 1762, Catherine II came to power. It happened as follows. Because of Passek's arrest, all the conspirators rose to their feet, fearing that the arrested person might betray them under torture. It was decided to send Alexei Orlov for Catherine. The Empress at that time lived in anticipation of the name day of Peter III in Peterhof. On the morning of June 28, Alexei Orlov ran into her bedroom and reported Passek’s arrest. Catherine got into Orlov's carriage and was taken to the Izmailovsky regiment. The soldiers ran out into the square to the beat of drums and immediately swore allegiance to her. Then she moved to the Semenovsky regiment, which also swore allegiance to the empress. Accompanied by a crowd of people, at the head of two regiments, Catherine went to the Kazan Cathedral. Here, at a prayer service, she was proclaimed empress. Then she went to the Winter Palace and found the Synod and Senate there already assembled. They also swore allegiance to her.

Personality and character of Catherine II

Not only the biography of Catherine the Great is interesting, but also her personality and character, which left an imprint on her inner and foreign policy. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge of people. The Empress skillfully chose assistants, while not being afraid of talented and bright personalities. Catherine's time was therefore marked by the appearance of many outstanding statesmen, as well as generals, musicians, artists, writers. Catherine was usually reserved, tactful, and patient in dealing with her subjects. She was an excellent conversationalist and could listen carefully to anyone. By the empress’s own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she caught worthwhile thoughts and knew how to use them for her own purposes.

There were almost no noisy resignations during the reign of this empress. The nobles were not subject to disgrace; they were not exiled or executed. Because of this, the reign of Catherine is considered the “golden age” of the nobility in Russia. The Empress, at the same time, was very vain and valued her power more than anything in the world. She was ready to make any compromises to preserve it, including to the detriment of her own convictions.

Religiosity of the Empress

This empress was distinguished by her ostentatious piety. She considered herself a protector Orthodox Church and its head. Catherine skillfully used religion for political interests. Apparently her faith was not very deep. The biography of Catherine the Great is noted for the fact that she preached religious tolerance in the spirit of the times. It was under this empress that the persecution of the Old Believers was stopped. Protestant and Catholic churches and mosques. Nevertheless, conversion to another faith from Orthodoxy was still severely punished.

Catherine - opponent of serfdom

Catherine the Great, whose biography interests us, was an ardent opponent of serfdom. She considered it contrary to human nature and inhumane. Many harsh statements on this issue were preserved in her papers. Also in them you can find her thoughts on how serfdom can be eliminated. Nevertheless, the empress did not dare to do anything concrete in this area for fear of another coup and noble rebellion. Catherine, at the same time, was convinced that Russian peasants were spiritually undeveloped, therefore there was a danger in granting them freedom. According to the empress, the life of the peasants is quite prosperous under caring landowners.

First reforms

When Catherine ascended the throne, she already had a fairly definite political program. It was based on the ideas of the Enlightenment and took into account the peculiarities of the development of Russia. Consistency, gradualism and consideration of public sentiment were the main principles of the implementation of this program. In the first years of her reign, Catherine II carried out a reform of the Senate (in 1763). His work became more efficient as a result. The following year, 1764, Catherine the Great carried out the secularization of church lands. The biography for children of this empress, presented on the pages of school textbooks, necessarily introduces schoolchildren to this fact. Secularization significantly replenished the treasury and also alleviated the situation of many peasants. Catherine in Ukraine abolished the hetmanate in accordance with the need to unify local government throughout the state. In addition, she invited German colonists to the Russian Empire to develop the Black Sea and Volga regions.

Foundation of educational institutions and the new Code

During these same years, a number of educational institutions were founded, including for women (the first in Russia) - the Catherine School, the Smolny Institute. In 1767, the Empress announced that a special commission was being convened to create a new Code. It consisted of elected deputies, representatives of all social groups of society, except serfs. For the commission, Catherine wrote “Instructions,” which is, in essence, a liberal program for the reign of this empress. However, her calls were not understood by the deputies. They argued over the smallest issues. Deep contradictions between social groups emerged during these discussions, as well as low level Many deputies have a political culture and the conservatism of most of them. The established commission was dissolved at the end of 1768. The Empress assessed this experience as an important lesson, which introduced her to the sentiments of various segments of the state's population.

Development of legislative acts

After the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, ended, and the Pugachev uprising was suppressed, the new stage Catherine's reforms. The Empress herself began to develop the most important legislative acts. In particular, a manifesto was issued in 1775, according to which it was allowed to establish any industrial enterprises without restrictions. Also this year, a provincial reform was carried out, as a result of which a new Administrative division the empire was established. It survived until 1917.

Expanding on the topic “Brief biography of Catherine the Great,” we note that in 1785 the Empress issued the most important legislative acts. These were letters of grant to cities and nobility. A letter was also prepared for state peasants, but political circumstances did not allow it to be put into effect. The main significance of these letters was associated with the implementation of the main goal of Catherine’s reforms - the creation of full-fledged estates in the empire on the model of Western Europe. The diploma meant for the Russian nobility the legal consolidation of almost all the privileges and rights that they had.

The last and unimplemented reforms proposed by Catherine the Great

Biography ( summary) of the empress we are interested in is marked by the fact that she carried out various reforms until her death. For example, education reform continued into the 1780s. Catherine the Great, whose biography is presented in this article, created a network of school institutions in cities based on the classroom system. Empress in last years continued to plan major changes in her life. Reform central control was scheduled for 1797, as well as the introduction of legislation in the country on the order of succession to the throne, the creation of a higher court based on representation from the 3 estates. However, Catherine II the Great did not have time to complete the extensive reform program. Her short biography, however, would be incomplete if we did not mention all this. In general, all these reforms were a continuation of the transformations begun by Peter I.

Catherine's foreign policy

What else is interesting about the biography of Catherine 2 the Great? The Empress, following Peter, believed that Russia should be active on the world stage and pursue an offensive policy, even to some extent aggressive. After her accession to the throne, she broke the alliance treaty with Prussia concluded by Peter III. Thanks to the efforts of this empress, it was possible to restore Duke E.I. Biron on the Courland throne. Supported by Prussia, in 1763 Russia achieved the election of Stanislav August Poniatowski, its protege, to the Polish throne. This, in turn, led to a deterioration in relations with Austria due to the fact that it feared the strengthening of Russia and began to incite Turkey to war with it. In general, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was successful for Russia, but the difficult situation within the country prompted it to seek peace. And for this it was necessary to restore previous relations with Austria. Eventually a compromise was reached. Poland fell victim to it: its first division was carried out in 1772 by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

The Kyuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was signed with Turkey, which ensured the independence of Crimea, beneficial for Russia. Empire in the war between England and the colonies North America took neutrality. Catherine refused to help the English king with troops. A number of European states joined the Declaration of Armed Neutrality, created on Panin’s initiative. This contributed to the victory of the colonists. In subsequent years, our country’s position in the Caucasus and Crimea was strengthened, which ended with the inclusion of the latter in the Russian Empire in 1782, as well as the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk with Erekle II, King of Kartli-Kakheti, the following year. This ensured the presence of Russian troops in Georgia, and then the annexation of its territory to Russia.

Strengthening authority in the international arena

The new foreign policy doctrine of the Russian government was formed in the 1770s. It was a Greek project. The main goal it was restoration Byzantine Empire and the announcement of Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, who was the grandson of Catherine II, as emperor. In 1779, Russia significantly strengthened its authority in the international arena by participating as a mediator between Prussia and Austria in the Teschen Congress. The biography of Empress Catherine the Great can also be supplemented by the fact that in 1787, accompanied by the court, the Polish king, the Austrian emperor and foreign diplomats, she traveled to Crimea. It became a demonstration of Russia's military power.

Wars with Turkey and Sweden, further divisions of Poland

The biography of Catherine 2 the Great continued with the fact that she started a new Russian-Turkish war. Russia now acted in alliance with Austria. Almost at the same time, the war with Sweden also began (from 1788 to 1790), which tried to take revenge after the defeat in Northern War. The Russian Empire managed to cope with both of these opponents. In 1791 the war with Turkey ended. The Peace of Jassy was signed in 1792. He consolidated Russia's influence in Transcaucasia and Bessarabia, as well as the annexation of Crimea to it. The 2nd and 3rd partitions of Poland took place in 1793 and 1795 respectively. They put an end to Polish statehood.

Empress Catherine the Great, short biography whom we examined, died on November 17 (old style - November 6), 1796 in St. Petersburg. So significant is her contribution to Russian history that the memory of Catherine II is preserved by many works of domestic and world culture, including the works of such great writers as N.V. Gogol, A.S. Pushkin, B. Shaw, V. Pikul and others. The life of Catherine the Great, her biography inspired many directors - creators of such films as “The Caprice of Catherine II”, “The Tsar’s Hunt”, “Young Catherine”, “Dreams of Russia”, “ Russian revolt" and others.

CATHERINE II the Great (1729-96), Russian empress(since 1762). German Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. Since 1744 - in Russia. Since 1745, the wife of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future emperor, whom she overthrew from the throne (1762), relying on the guard (G. G. and A. G. Orlovs and others). She reorganized the Senate (1763), secularized the lands (1763-64), and abolished the hetmanate in Ukraine (1764). She headed the Statutory Commission 1767-69. During her reign, the Peasants' War of 1773-75 took place. Issued an Institution for the management of the province in 1775, a Charter to the nobility in 1785 and a Charter to the cities in 1785. Under Catherine II, as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-74, 1787-91, Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea, the North was annexed. Black Sea region, Crimea, Kuban region. Accepted Vostochny under Russian citizenship. Georgia (1783). During the reign of Catherine II, the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were carried out (1772, 1793, 1795). She corresponded with other figures of the French Enlightenment. Author of many fictional, dramatic, journalistic, popular science works, “Notes”.

EKATERINA II Alekseevna(nee Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst), Russian Empress (from 1762-96).

Origin, upbringing and education

Catherine, the daughter of Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth (née Princess Holstein-Gottorp), was related to the royal houses of Sweden, Prussia and England. She was educated at home: she studied German and French, dance, music, basics of history, geography, theology. Already in childhood, her independent character, curiosity, perseverance, and at the same time a penchant for lively, active games were evident. In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned to Russia by the Empress, baptized according to Orthodox custom under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna and named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Emperor Peter III), whom she married in 1745.

Life in Russia before accession to the throne

Catherine set herself the goal of winning the favor of the empress, her husband and the Russian people. However, her personal life was unsuccessful: Peter was infantile, so during the first years of marriage there was no marital relationship between them. Paying tribute to the cheerful life of the court, Catherine turned to reading French educators and works on history, jurisprudence and economics. These books shaped her worldview. Catherine became a consistent supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the history, traditions and customs of Russia. In the early 1750s. Catherine began an affair with guards officer S.V. Saltykov, and in 1754 gave birth to a son, the future Emperor Paul I, but rumors that Saltykov was Paul’s father have no basis. In the second half of the 1750s. Catherine had an affair with the Polish diplomat S. Poniatowski (later King Stanislav Augustus), and in the early 1760s. with G. G. Orlov, from whom she gave birth to a son, Alexei, in 1762, who received the surname Bobrinsky. The deterioration of relations with her husband led to the fact that she began to fear for her fate if he came to power and began to recruit supporters at court. Catherine's ostentatious piety, her prudence, and sincere love for Russia - all this sharply contrasted with Peter's behavior and allowed her to gain authority both among the high society metropolitan society and the general population of St. Petersburg.

Accession to the throne

During the six months of Peter's reign III relationship Catherine and her husband (who openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova) continued to deteriorate, becoming clearly hostile. There was a threat of her arrest and possible deportation. Catherine carefully prepared the conspiracy, relying on the support of the Orlov brothers, N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova and others. On the night of June 28, 1762, when the emperor was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg and was proclaimed in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment autocratic empress. Soon soldiers from other regiments joined the rebels. The news of Catherine's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city and was greeted with delight by St. Petersburg residents. To prevent the actions of the deposed emperor, messengers were sent to the army and to Kronstadt. Meanwhile, Peter, having learned about what had happened, began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, which were rejected. The Empress herself, at the head of the guards regiments, set out for St. Petersburg and on the way received Peter’s written abdication of the throne.

Character and mode of government

Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge of people; she skillfully selected assistants for herself, not being afraid of bright and talented people. That is why Catherine’s time was marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding statesmen, generals, writers, artists, and musicians. In dealing with her subjects, Catherine was, as a rule, restrained, patient, and tactful. She was an excellent conversationalist and knew how to listen carefully to everyone. By her own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she was good at catching every sensible thought and using it for her own purposes. During the entire reign of Catherine there were practically no noisy resignations, none of the nobles were disgraced, exiled, much less executed. Therefore, there was an idea of ​​Catherine’s reign as the “golden age” of the Russian nobility. At the same time, Catherine was very vain and valued her power more than anything else in the world. In order to preserve it, she is ready to make any compromises to the detriment of her beliefs.

Attitude to religion and the peasant question

Catherine was distinguished by ostentatious piety, considered herself the head and protector of the Russian Orthodox Church and skillfully used religion in her political interests. Her faith, apparently, was not very deep. In the spirit of the times, she preached religious tolerance. Under her, the persecution of Old Believers was stopped, Catholic and Protestant churches and mosques were built, but the transition from Orthodoxy to another faith was still severely punished.

Catherine was a staunch opponent of serfdom, considering it inhumane and contrary to human nature itself. Her papers contain many harsh statements on this matter, as well as discussions about various options elimination of serfdom. However, she did not dare to do anything concrete in this area due to a well-founded fear of a noble rebellion and another coup. At the same time, Catherine was convinced of the spiritual underdevelopment of Russian peasants and therefore in the danger of granting them freedom, believing that the life of peasants under caring landowners was quite prosperous.

Reign of Catherine II (briefly)

Reign of Catherine II (briefly)

On April 21, 1729, Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerpt, who in the future would be known as Catherine the Great, was born. At the same time, her family was very strapped for money and therefore she was able to receive only home education, which influenced the girl’s personality.

In 1744, an event took place that became significant not only for the princess, but also for the entire history of the Russian Empire. It is she who is chosen by Elizaveta Petrovna as the bride of Peter the Third. Arriving at the court, Sophia began to educate herself with great pleasure, studying the history, culture and language of her new homeland. At baptism she receives the name Ekaterina Alekseevna.

The wedding ceremony with Peter takes place on the twenty-first of August 1745, but this marriage brought only misfortune to the woman, since Peter did not pay attention to her at all. For quite a long period, balls and hunts became the only entertainment for the empress. And on September 20, 1754, he gives birth to a son, Pavel, who is immediately taken away from her. The spouses themselves did not hesitate to have lovers.

After the birth of her daughter, Empress Elizabeth falls ill. In addition, the correspondence of Catherine the Second with the Austrian ambassador is revealed. Soon after the death of Elizabeth, Peter ascends to the throne.

Researchers claim that the empress began planning a conspiracy against her husband long before this, together with her favorites. In 1761, she secretly gives birth to a son from one of them (Orlov).

As a result of competently carried out propaganda in the guards units, on June twenty-eighth, 1762, the units took the oath to Catherine, and Peter renounced the throne.

In domestic policy, Catherine the Second adhered to the ideas of the Enlightenment. It was the enlightened absolutism of the empress that contributed to the strengthening of the autocracy, the strengthening of the bureaucratic apparatus and the unification of the management system. Thanks to the active work of the Legislative Commission, it became possible to carry out many innovative reforms.

The foreign policy of Empress Catherine was more successful and active. A particularly important task was to secure the southern borders of the state. Wherein, great value had Turkish campaigns. The interests of Russia, France and England collided in them. Also, during the reign of Catherine, great importance was given to the annexation of Belarus and Ukraine to Russia.

On April 21, 1729, Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerpt, the future Empress Catherine 2 the Great, was born. The princess's family was very strapped for money. And therefore Sophia Frederika received only home education. However, it was precisely this that largely influenced the formation of the personality of Catherine 2, the future Russian Empress.

In 1744, an event occurred that was significant both for the young princess and for all of Russia. Elizaveta Petrovna settled on her candidacy as the bride of Peter 3. Soon the princess arrived at the court. She enthusiastically took up self-education, studying the culture, language, and history of Russia. Under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna, she was baptized into Orthodoxy on June 24, 1744. The wedding with Peter 3 took place on August 21, 1745. But the marriage did not bring family happiness to Catherine. Peter did not pay attention to his young wife special attention. On quite for a long time Catherine's only entertainment was hunting and balls. On September 20, 1754, the first-born Pavel was born. But her son was taken away from her immediately. After this, relations with the Empress and Peter 3 deteriorated significantly. Peter 3 did not hesitate to take on mistresses. And Catherine herself cheated on her wife with Stanislav Poniatowski, King of Poland.

Perhaps for this reason, Peter had very serious suspicions about the paternity of his daughter, who was born on December 9, 1758. It was difficult period- Empress Elizabeth became seriously ill, Catherine’s correspondence with the Austrian ambassador was opened. The support of the favorites and associates of the future empress turned out to be decisive.

Soon after the death of Empress Elizabeth, Peter 3 ascended the throne. This happened in 1761. The matrimonial quarters were occupied by his mistress. And Catherine, having become pregnant by Orlov, gave birth to a son, Alexei, in strict secrecy.

The policies of Peter 3, both external and internal, provoked indignation from almost all layers of Russian society. And it could not have caused any other reaction, for example, the return of Prussia captured during Seven Years' War territories. Catherine, on the contrary, enjoyed considerable popularity. It is not surprising that in such a situation a conspiracy soon developed, led by Catherine.

On June 28, 1762, guards units took the oath to Catherine in St. Petersburg. Peter 3 was forced to abdicate the throne the very next day and was arrested. And soon he was killed, it is believed, with the tacit consent of his wife. Thus began the era of Catherine 2, called nothing less than the Golden Age.

In many ways domestic politics Catherine 2 depended on her adherence to the ideas of the Enlightenment. It was the so-called enlightened absolutism of Catherine 2 that contributed to the unification of the management system, the strengthening of the bureaucratic apparatus and, ultimately, the strengthening of autocracy. The reforms of Catherine 2 became possible thanks to the activities of the Legislative Commission, which included deputies from all classes. However, the country could not avoid serious problems. Thus, the years 1773–1775 became difficult. - the time of Pugachev's uprising.

The foreign policy of Catherine 2 turned out to be very active and successful. It was especially important to secure the country's southern borders. The Turkish campaigns were of great importance. In their course, the interests of the greatest powers - England, France and Russia - collided. During the reign of Catherine 2 great importance was also attached to the annexation of the territories of Ukraine and Belarus to the Russian Empire. This was achieved by Empress Catherine II with the help of the divisions of Poland (together with England and Prussia). It is necessary to mention the decree of Catherine 2 on the liquidation of the Zaporozhye Sich.

The reign of Catherine 2 turned out to be not only successful, but also long. She reigned from 1762 to 1796. According to some sources, the empress also thought about the possibility of abolishing serfdom in the country. It was at that time that the foundations of civil society were laid in Russia. Pedagogical schools were opened in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the Smolny Institute, the Public Library, and the Hermitage were created. On November 5, 1796, the Empress suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. The death of Catherine 2 occurred on November 6. Thus ended the biography of Catherine 2 and the brilliant Golden Age. The throne was inherited by Paul 1, her son.