On July 9, 1762 or 250 years ago Russia acquired an empress. Or maybe Catherine II, the spouse of Emperor Peter III, acquired Russia on that day? Both versions are legitimate and complementary.
The sense of historic expertise above all revolves around hyped up and widely promoted persons and events. The figure of Catherine II or Catherine the Great undoubtedly belongs to this category of persons in the popular conscience. Who does not know something about Catherine the Great in Russia?
But quite often we are caught in the snare of set patterns and trivial knowledge, when the matter regards the particularly famous and popular individuals. And it’s beyond our strength to push the envelope and find something new because the entire space allotted to a given historical personage in our minds is already crammed.
But let’s have a go!
Why was July 9 such a big date for Ekaterina Alekseyevna? Besides ascending the Russian throne on that memorable day in 1762, Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg converted from her original Lutheran faith to Orthodoxy on the same summer day of 1744. Only after that significant step was she betrothed to the heir of the Russian throne, Grand Prince Peter Fyodorovich.
It’s doubtful that Catherine specifically timed the day of the coup d’etat in 1762 to the date of her conversion, but there are no fortuities in this world and each such coincidence bears some sacred meaning.
It is widely known that Catherine the Great waged a successful war against Turks, moved the borders of the Empire to the Black Sea coast, maintained correspondence with Voltaire, stamped out Pugachev’s mutiny, and frequently swapped her favorites.
Yet something else was done during the 34 years of her reign.
She reformed governorates and facilitated the system of their administration. The reform included the abolition of Zaporozhian Host and hence transition to the principle of centralized governance of Malorossiya (modern-day Ukraine) and Novorossiya (the lands at the Black and Azov seas).
The Academy of Sciences, Smolny Institute and a network of municipal schools were created; the Hermitage and First Public Library (now RSL) were opened.
The reform of navy and military was completed; as a result troops on the ground doubled and naval forces tripled. Under Catherine Russia waged several wars and came out a winner from all of them.
All major religions and denominations were granted equal rights.
The Charter to the cities endowed all city estates with certain rights and freedoms.
A manifesto about freedom of business undertakings was signed; as a result the nascent Russian business was emancipated from the direct dictate of state bureaucracy.
The lands of Belarus and Western Ukraine were re-annexed.
The Senate and Forensic reforms were initiated.
The Imperial Bank and Pawnshop were established and a paper currency (bankroll) was adopted.
Finally, such national talents as Potemkin, Suvorov, Rumyantsev, Bazhenov, Kazakov, Vorontsova-Dashkova, Derzhvin, Rokotov, Borovikovsky, Fonvizin… began shining in Catherine’s reign.
Not everything went smooth, to be sure. Thus her attempt to codify the imperial regulations and introduce the rule of law actually failed. She coped with theory but failed to put it into practice. But the very attempt testifies to a high level of Queen’s statesmanlike thinking. The issue of serfdom did not move beyond general reflections. On the contrary, many historians justly assess Catherine’s era as the hardest for Russian serfs who accounted for up to 50% of total population.
True, there was Pugachev’s rebellion, strange death of abdicated Emperor Peter III, persecutions of writer Radishchev and publisher Novikov, several dozens of favorites… But where did you see ideal rulers?
Interestingly enough, Russia was governed by women for nearly 70 years of the 18th century: Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopoldovna, Elizaveta Petrovna and Catherine the Great… For all specificity of the female rule, men have to admit that during this period the Russian nation changed for the better and Pavel I along with Alexander I inherited a full-fledged empire.
The exhibition Catherine the Great: a Way to the Throne. Towards 250th Anniversary of Enthronement has opened at the State Historical Museum. This is another occasion to see that far from everything is known about this remarkable woman in the history of Russia.
Mikhail Bykov
