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Above: Catherine the Great, Empress regnant of Russia and formerly Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, artist unknown.
Catherine II, née Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (born April 21/May 2, 1729, died November 6/7, 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was Empress of all Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796 — the country's longest-ruling female leader. She came to power following a coup d'état that overthrew her husband and second cousin, Tsar Peter III, whose subsequent assassination she is believed to have orchestrated. Under Catherine's reign, Russia grew larger, its culture was revitalised, and it became recognised as one of the great powers worldwide.
In her accession to power and her rule of the empire, Catherine often relied on her noble favourites, most notably Count Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin. Assisted by highly successful generals such as Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Rumyantsev, and admirals such as Samuel Greig and Fyodor Ushakov, she governed at a time when the Russian Empire was expanding rapidly by conquest and diplomacy. In the south, the Crimean Khanate was crushed following victories over the Bar confederation and Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774 due to the support of the United Kingdom, and Russia colonised the territories of Novorossiya along the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas. In the west, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, ruled by Catherine's former lover, King Stanisław August Poniatowski, was eventually partitioned, with the Russian Empire gaining the largest share. In the east, Russia started to colonise Alaska, establishing Russian America.
Catherine reformed the administration of Russian guberniyas (governorates), and many new cities and towns were founded on her orders. An admirer of Tsar Peter the Great, Catherine continued to modernise Russia after the model of Western European lines. However, military conscription and the economy continued to depend on serfdom, and the increasing demands of the state and of private landowners intensified the exploitation of serf labour. This was one of the chief reasons behind rebellions, including the large-scale Pugachev Rebellion of Cossacks, nomads, peoples of the Volga, and peasants.
The period of Catherine's rule, the Catherinian Era, is considered a Golden Age of Russia. The Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility, issued during the brief reign of Peter III and confirmed by Catherine, freed Russian nobles from compulsory military or state service. Construction of many mansions of the nobility, in the classical style endorsed by the Empress, changed the face of the country. Catherine enthusiastically supported and promoted the ideals of the Enlightenment and is often included in the ranks of the enlightened despots. As a patron of the arts, she presided over the age of the Russian Enlightenment, including the establishment of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, the first state-financed higher education institute for women in Europe.
"Simultaneously with the manifesto on the death of Peter III, on July 7, a manifesto on the upcoming coronation of the new Empress was promulgated. throne, but that she is forced to do so according to the knowledge of God and under the threat of responsibility in the future 'before his terrible judgment.' Catherine II was to free the Motherland from danger 'without any bloodshed.' At the end of the manifesto, the date of the coronation in Moscow was set in September.
To prepare for the celebration, a coronation commission was formed, headed by Field Marshal General, President of the Military Collegium N. I. Trubetskoy. In Moscow, in a short time, it was necessary to build four triumphal arches, prepare the Faceted Chamber for receiving guests, put in order the regalia, and make a large crown."
The manifesto:
БОЖІЕЮ МИЛОСТІЮ
МЫ ЕКАТЕРИНА ВТОРАЯ,
Императрица и Самодержица Всероссійская,
И ПРОЧАЯ, И ПРОЧАЯ И ПРОЧАЯ.
объявляемъ всѣмъ НАШИМЪ вѣрнымъ подданнымъ, духовнымъ, военнымъ и гражданскимъ.
Публикованнымъ отъ 28 числа прошедшаго Іюня, НАШИМЪ краткимъ манифестомъ объявлено: Какія вины были, которыхъ ради вступили МЫ на ИМПЕРАТОРСКІЙ НАШЪ Всероссійскій Престолъ, весь свѣтъ и ивъ того уже ясно усмотреть могъ; что ревность къ благочестію, любовь къ НАШЕМУ Россійскому Отечеству; а притомъ усердное всѣхъ НАШИХЪ вѣрноподданныхъ желаніе видѣть НАСЪ на ономъ Престолѣ, и чревъ НАСЪ получить избавленіе отъ приключившихся, а большихъ еще слѣдовавшихъ Россійскому Отечеству опасностей понудили НАСЪ къ тому, и МЫ САМИ не могли не имѣшь на совѣсти НАШЕЙ праведнаго страха, что есть ли бы за благовремянно не исполнили того, чего отъ НАСЪ самая должность въ разсужденіи Бога, Его Церькви и вѣры Святой требовала, то бы предъ страшнымъ Его судомъ отвѣчать за сіе принуждены были: для чего Онъ Всевышній Богъ, который владѣетъ Царствомъ, и кому хочетъ даетъ Его, видя правѣдное и благочестивое оное НАШЕ намѣреніе самымъ дѣломъ, такъ оное благословилъ что МЫ воспріяли Самодержавно НАШЪ Престолъ, и освободили отъ помянутыхъ опасностей НАШЕ Отечество безъ всякаго кровопролитія, и имѣли удовольствіе видѣть, съ какою любовью, радостью и благодареніемъ, оной о НАСЪ божій промыселъ всѣ вѣрноподданные НАШИ приняли, и съ какимъ усердіемъ торжественную НАМЪ въ вѣрности, о которой МЫ и прежде сего совершенно увѣрены были, учинили присягу; въ слѣдствіе того, дабы МЫ предъ Богомъ за всѣсильную Его дарованную НАМЪ во ономъ предпріятій помощь могли оказать, и при семъ случаѣ НАШУ благодарность, что не инако, какъ отъ руки Его приняли Царство, подражая православнымъ прежде НАСЪ бывшимъ Россійским Монархомъ, яке и Греческимъ благочестивымъ и самимъ древнимъ Израильскимъ Царямъ, которые обыкновенно Елеемъ Святымъ на Царство помазываемы были. Положили МЫ намѣреніе безъ продолженія времени принять оное Священное Елея помазаніе, и возложить на себя Корону; что съ помощью Божиего и намѣрены МЫ совершить сего 1762 года, въ Царствующемъ НАШЕМЪ градѣ Москвѣ, мѣсяца Сентября: и о томъ во всей НАШЕЙ Имперіи публиковать печатными манифестами повелѣли.
Подлинной подписанъ собственною ЕЯ ИМПЕРАТОРСКАГО ВЕЛИЧЕСТВА рукою тако:
ЕКАТЕРИНА.
Μ. Μ.
Печатанъ въ Санктпетербургѣ при Сенатѣ. Іюля 7 дня 1762 года.
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