- Adadurov, 141
- Adolph Friedrich of Holstein, 53
- d’Alembert, 269
- Alexander, Grand Duke, later Alexander I, 259, 279, 284-285, 294
- Alexandrina, Princess, 208, 315-321
- Alexei Michaelovich, 40, 212
- Alexei Petrovich, 38, 48
- Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia, 45, 47, 96
- Anna Leopoldovna, 45, 46, 102, 164
- Anna Petrovna, 13, 45
- Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick, 45, 52
- Apraxin, General, 141-146
- Arsenii of Rostov, 311
- August the Strong, 132
- Babet, nickname of Elisabeth Cardel, 24
- Bariatinsky, Prince Feodor, 167, 173, 174, 175, 309
- Bergholz, 173
- Bestushev, 55, 73, 90, 104, 135, 141, 181
- Bibikov, 166, 215
- Bilbassov, 51, 142, 143, 155, 194, 259
- Bjelke, Madame, 208
- Bobrinsky, Alexei Gregorevich, 159, 268
- Bolhagen, 23
- Branicky, Countess, 242, 248, 264
- Brockdorf, Herr, 126, 129
- Bruce, Countess, 208, 234
- Brückner, 170, 228, 275
- Brümmer, 57, 62, 64, 173
- Burgoyne, General, 281
- Cagliostro, 296
- Cardel, Elisabeth, 24-26, 28, 34, 284
- Casimir, Jan, 197
- Catherine I, 41, 44, 45, 46, 49
- Catherine the Great,
- Baptised Sophie Auguste Friedrike, (Fike), Princess of Zerbst, 11
- Birth, 10
- Education, 22
- Childhood, 32
- Meeting with Frederick the Great, 67
- Journey to Russia, 66-71
- Arrival in Russia, 71
- Conversion to Greek faith, 80-83
- Enters the Greek Church, 84-88
- Sophie Auguste Friedrike becomes Catherine Alexeievna, 85
- Marriage, 96-100
- Relation to Saltikov, 118
- Gives birth to an heir, 120
- Relations with Peter III, 126, 130
- Birth of Grand Duchess Anna, 137
- Complicity in the Apraxin affair, 141-146
- Birth of Bobrinsky, 159
- Manifesto of 1762, 169
- Revolution of 1762, 161-180
- Coronation, 183-184
- Foreign Policy, 180, 193, 251
- Manifesto of Silence, 187
- Partition of Poland, 195-204
- Census of Russia, 204-206
- Reign, 207
- Reforms affecting women, 208-211
- Foundling Hospital, 209
- Domestic Policy, 211-216
- Instruction for a Code of Laws, 212
- Attitude toward serfdom, 215
- Campaign against smallpox, 216-222
- Crimean journey, 248-249
- Acquisition of Crimea, 250-251
- The French Revolution, 251, 311-315
- Pugachev’s Rebellion, 312
- Turkish Wars, 251-259
- Favorites, 231-237, 259-262
- Relation with Poniatovsky, 133-139
- Attempted marriage with Orlov, 184-188
- Relation with Potiomkin, 237
- Relation with Zubov, 301-308
- Birth of Grandsons, 279
- Education of Grandsons, 281-287
- Writings, 292-299
- Comedies, 295
- Failure of the Swedish Marriage, 315-321
- Death, 323-325
- Charles XII of Sweden, 8
- Chernichev, Andrei, 259
- Chetardie, 91
- Chitrovo, 186
- Choglokov, Maria, 104, 118, 236
- Choiseul, 193
- Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 4-6, 21, 29, 69, 76-79, 88, 112
- Constantine, Grand Duke, 280, 282
- Courland, 21, 195
- Crimean journey, 248-249
- Czarskoe Selo, 101, 221, 271, 305
- Czartorisky, Adam, 198
- Dashkov, Countess Catherine, 154, 162, 170, 208, 244
- Dashkov, Prince, 302, 303
- Diderot, 180, 233, 306
- Dimsdale, Dr. Thomas, 217, 322
- Elisabeth Petrovna, Empress of Russia,
- Birth, 47
- Revolution of 1741, 49-55
- Relations with Princess of Zerbst, 58, 88-89, 150
- Appearance, 75
- Death, 151-152
- Eudoxia, First Wife of Peter the Great, 41
- Fike, nickname of Sophie Auguste Friedrike, later Catherine the Great, 11
- de Fraigne, Marquis, 147
- Frederick the Great, 14, 29, 60, 65, 67, 78, 81, 93, 128, 132, 148, 196-204, 217, 226, 272
- Frederick William I, 3, 32
- Friedrich August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 11, 147
- Fokshani, Congress of, 222, 254
- Gatchina, 223, 279
- George of Holstein, 63, 157, 165, 170, 242
- Godunov, Boris, 38
- Granovitaya Palata, 184
- Grimm, 227, 266, 274, 293, 306
- Gustav III of Sweden, 257, 316
- Gustav IV of Sweden, 316
- Gyllenborg, Count, 23
- Hedwig Sophie, Provost of Quedlinburg, 15
- Henri le Grand, 84, 231
- Henry, Prince of Prussia, 14, 202, 203, 241, 272, 275-277, 314
- Hermitage, The Little, 307
- Homburg, 12
- Ivan the Terrible, 38
- Ivan VI, Ivanushka, 45, 46, 53, 158, 164, 312
- Johann Ludwig, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 5
- Johanna Elisabeth, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, 58
- Johanna Elisabeth, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp, 6-9, 20, 65, 70, 75, 89, 147-151
- Jones, John Paul, 256-257
- Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein, later Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich, later Peter III, 9, 13, 53
- Kayserling, Count, 197
- Khayn, Fräulein, Lady in Waiting to the Princess of Zerbst, 18
- Kiev, 86
- Kolmogory, 103
- Kolomenskoe Palace, 47, 213
- Kosciuszko, 204
- Krasnoe Selo, 102
- Kremlin, 40, 158, 183, 220, 225
- Kruse, Madame, 99, 108, 113
- Kutchuk-Kainardi, Peace of, 254
- Lanskoy, 239, 260, 261
- LeBrun, Madame Vigée, 306
- Lestocq, 49, 52, 61, 89, 92, 114
- von Lieven, Madame, 310
- de Ligne, Prince, 247
- Luther, Martin, 4, 14, 29
- Machiavelli, 194
- Mamonov, 238, 239, 260
- Mardefeld, 58, 81, 93
- Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria, 49, 120, 196, 201, 203
- Marie Feodorovna, Grand Duchess, 278-279, 281
- Masson, Major, 43, 209, 211, 286
- von Mengden, Julie, 46, 102
- Menshikov, 38, 41
- Mirovich, 312
- Molière, 34, 294
- Monplaisir, 164, 171
- Montesquieu, 211
- Morals in Russia, 41-44
- Moscow, 190, 219
- Narishkin, Leo, 308, 313
- Natalie Alexeievna, Grand Duchess, 273
- Natalie Narishkin, 40
- Nicholas, Grand Duke, later Nicholas I, 287
- Oranienbaum, 110, 138, 173
- Orlov, Alexei, 165, 166, 173, 175-179, 186, 224, 291
- Orlov, Gregory, 152, 161, 167, 184, 191, 213, 215, 217, 220-224, 239, 300
- Otchakov, 275
- Panin, Nikita, 55, 163, 168, 174, 182, 186, 212, 268, 270-271
- Partition of Poland, 195-204
- Passeck, 166, 175
- Paul I,
- Birth, 118-120
- Appearance, 122, 266, 296
- Infancy, 124
- Health, 182
- Baptised Peter Feodorovich, 130
- First Marriage, 271-273
- Second Marriage, 276-279
- Melancholia, 287-292
- Journey through Europe, 288-289
- Mysticism, 290
- Conspiracy against his life, 226
- Death, 292
- Pavlovsk, 279, 281
- Peter Feodorovich, Grand Duke of Russia, 53
- Peter II, 47
- Peter III,
- Birth, 8
- Baptised Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein, 9
- Education, 55-57
- Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein becomes Peter Feodorovich, Grand Duke of Russia, 53
- Marriage, 98
- Relations with Catherine the Great, 94, 126, 130, 153, 160
- Folie militaire, 127, 130
- Government of Holstein, 131
- Accession, 153
- Reign, 156-159, 180
- Deposition, 171-179
- Death, 178, 179
- Peter the Great, 3, 8, 38, 39, 44, 47, 81, 190, 207, 252
- Petersburg, 189
- Poniatovsky Stanislas, King of Poland, 128, 133-139, 181, 197-204, 236
- Potiomkin, Gregory, Prince of Tauris, 191, 235, 237-258, 262-265, 300
- Potiomkin Villages, 247
- Prascovia Feodorovna, 103
- Prascovia Nikitichna Vladislav, 113
- von Prinzen, Baroness, 66
- Protassov, Countess, 208, 234
- Pugachev, 312
- Razumovsky, Alexei, 89, 116, 126, 185
- Razumovsky, Kyril, 126, 162, 167
- Reformation, The, 15, 29
- Religion in Russia, 42, 87
- Repnin, Prince, 258, 310
- Ribas, Admiral, 268
- Rimsky-Korsakov, 260
- Rogerson, 209, 234, 322
- Romanov, House of, 38
- Ropsha, 174
- Rumiantsov, General, 253, 256
- Rurik, House of, 38
- Saltikov, Sergei, 117-119, 121, 124, 179, 236
- Schlözer, 196
- Seven Years War, 93, 141
- Sheremetiev, Count, 153, 183, 192
- Shuvalov, Alexander, 142
- Shuvalov, Ivan Ivanovich, 117, 119, 135, 150
- Smolny, 210
- Sophie Alexeievna, 40
- Sophie Auguste Friedrike, later Catherine the Great, 11
- Sophie Christina, Canoness of Gandersheim, 5, 15, 17
- Stehlin, 56, 61, 128, 172
- Stenka Rasin, 312
- Stettin, 3, 20
- Streltsi, The, 40
- Stroganov, Count, 161, 192
- Suvarov, General, 242, 256, 310
- Sylvester, the Monk, 38, 39
- Tchesme, Battle of, 222
- Terem, 43, 46
- Todorsky, Simon, 82, 84
- Treaty of Westminster, 134
- Troitsky Monastery, 86, 91, 184
- Trubetsky, Prince, 172, 182
- Turkish Wars, 251-259
- Ulrica, Princess of Prussia, later Queen of Sweden, 60, 97, 258, 316
- Uspensky Cathedral, 183
- Vassilchikov, 223, 235, 254
- Viazemsky, 215, 228
- Voltaire, 193, 194, 210, 216, 218, 229, 253, 270, 293, 300
- Vorontsov, Elisabeth, 138, 146, 154, 155, 162, 170
- Wagner, Pastor, 12, 24, 26, 30-31, 66, 82, 87
- Williams, Sir Charles Hanbury, 133, 139-140, 181, 194
- Yermalov, 238, 260, 262
- Zavadovsky, 259, 310
- Zoritch, 260
- Zubov, Plato, 239, 260, 265, 291, 301, 304, 305, 306, 307, 318
- Zubov, Valerian, 291, 301
Catherine the Great
About This Book
A princess from a minor German principality is introduced into Russian court life, marries the heir, and orchestrates his overthrow to become empress; her long reign is recounted through political maneuvers, military expansion, and administrative and cultural reforms influenced by Enlightenment ideas. The narrative profiles key relationships with advisers and favorites, examines personal and dynastic challenges including motherhood and succession, and follows her aging and retrospective assessment. The biography balances vivid anecdote and documentary detail to portray an ambitious, intellectually engaged ruler whose policies and private life reveal contradictions between enlightened rhetoric and autocratic practice.