Catherine the great friends. Catherine the Great: The New Empress Made Friends 2022-12-26

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Catherine the Great, also known as Catherine II, was the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. During her reign, she was known for her intelligence, ambition, and determination to modernize and westernize Russia. Along the way, she developed close relationships with a number of influential figures who became her friends and advisors.

One of Catherine's most famous friends was Grigory Potemkin, a military leader and statesman who served as her lover and advisor. Potemkin was a key figure in Catherine's government, and he played a crucial role in the expansion and modernization of Russia during her reign. The two had a tumultuous relationship, but they remained close until Potemkin's death in 1791.

Another important friend of Catherine's was Voltaire, the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher. Catherine and Voltaire corresponded extensively, and she admired his work and ideas. In fact, Catherine was a patron of the arts and sciences, and she actively encouraged the spread of Enlightenment ideas in Russia. She also invited numerous intellectuals and artists to come to Russia, including Diderot and D'Alembert, and she established the Imperial Academy of Arts and Sciences in St. Petersburg.

Catherine also had a close relationship with Prince Potyomkin-Tavrichesky, who served as her governor-general in New Russia (present-day Ukraine). Potyomkin was a key figure in Catherine's efforts to colonize and modernize the region, and he was instrumental in the construction of the city of Sevastopol, which became a major naval base for Russia.

In addition to these friends, Catherine also had close relationships with many other influential figures, including advisors, diplomats, and members of the aristocracy. She was known for her ability to surround herself with intelligent and capable people, and she relied on their counsel and support as she worked to transform Russia into a modern and powerful nation.

Overall, Catherine the Great had a number of close friends who played important roles in her life and in the development of Russia. From military leaders and statesmen to intellectuals and artists, these friends provided her with guidance, support, and inspiration as she worked to bring about important changes in Russia.

Catherine the Great Sex Life True Story

catherine the great friends

. Six months later, she found a new source of joy: 22-year-old Alexander Lanskoi. Plus, Empress Elizabeth was bound to find out soon, and it was not going to be pretty. Today, he is mainly known for helping to unite his father's principality of Anhalt-Dornburg with his principality of Anhalt-Zerbst via After being expelled from Russia in 1745, Catherine's mother Joanna served as regent for her son Friedrich, who reached his majority in 1752 at the age of 18, writes Elle. She also partially introduced free schools for the deprived classes in Russia.

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The 6 Most Important Lovers of Catherine the Great

catherine the great friends

Singing Ivan had also been having an affair with her. Then, she gave him a yearly pension. His wife Catherine lived on the opposite side of the Winter Palace, which enabled her to plan a coup against him — one which she acted upon in the middle of 1762, writes Paul I was Catherine's only surviving legitimate child, but they had a strained relationship. Aleksey was raised in a mansion. He seems to have been a kind soul.

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10 Facts About Catherine the Great

catherine the great friends

The aim was to have Poland as effectively a puppet state , which was largely accomplished. The British ambassador Her Majesty has a masculine force of mind, obstinacy in adhering to a plan, and intrepidity in the execution of it; but she wants the more manly virtues of deliberation, forbearance in prosperity and accuracy of judgment, while she possesses in a high degree the weaknesses vulgarly attributed to her sex—love of flattery, and its inseparable companion, vanity; an inattention to unpleasant but salutary advice; and a propensity to voluptuousness which leads to excesses that would debase a female character in any sphere of life. Potemkin was a man of substance. The empress also loved deep, brainy conversations, of course, but she could enjoy the lighter side of life. Ultimately, the scales come down in her favor, and posterity, while taking into account her weaknesses and failures, her prejudices and her pride, justly calls her Great. As soon as Ivan left the court, another countess, Catherine Stroganova, left both court and husband to go after him. Catherine hides her hurt pride and chooses magnanimity.

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Catherine The Great's Lovers: These Are The 12 Men She Loved

catherine the great friends

Despite this, Catherine gave Vasilchikov a handsome pension and several properties — he never married, and lived out the rest of his days in Moscow. Her most glorious win came during the 1770 naval victory at Ceşme. He was delighted to finally catch Catherine at his own level -for he too had had several mistresses. It records the number of visitors to the website, which are the most visited pages, etc. With all that, one tends to think of her as a tough, authoritarian person.

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Catherine The Great's Family Tree Explained

catherine the great friends

However, he didn't manage to abolish the burden of serfdom, despite the massive problems it presented. Retrieved 24 November 2017— via Google Books. She loved art and being among people. . Love and Conquest: Personal Correspondence of Catherine the Great and Prince Grigory Potemkin. The reality is that Catherine suffered a stroke at 67 years old, then died peacefully in bed the following day. At least that is what the empress hints at in Grigory Orlov 1734-1783.

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What Was Catherine The Great Like? Temperament And Looks

catherine the great friends

The empress told Ivan that if he left the city, she would be generous with him. For example, according to Putter and Moser, in 1698, he received a decree that declared his many children to be princes and princesses via Heraldica. Her genius seemed to rest on her forehead, which was both high and wide. But Platon was no Potemkin. Platon Zubov Prince Platon Zubov was a distant relation of the Saltykov family: he met Catherine when he was 22 and she was over 60. Early in her life, she began correspondence with the Enlightenment thinker, Voltaire, who was fascinated by Russia — Voltaire had written a biography of Peter the Great. Her wielding of absolute power rested on her sensitivity to the nuances of the possible.

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Major Accomplishments of Catherine the Great, Russia's Longest

catherine the great friends

But the player persisted, and she finally succumbed to his charms. Painting by Valery Jacobi, 1889. The bonnet which held her white hair was not decorated with ribbons, but with the most beautiful diamonds. He died at the age of 52 in 1791. British historian Simon Jonathan Sebag Montefiore joins Dan to chat about this Russian royal family.

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Catherine the Great

catherine the great friends

The two only became lovers much later: Orlov was still in favour and Potemkin spent time abroad in the army, proving his military prowess. Catherine did initiate some changes to serfdom. He thought he could easily defeat the Russian army while it was preoccupied with its conflict with the Ottomans. While some historians argue that Catherine took 22 male lovers, others claim that she had only 12 romantic relationships. Painting of Poniatowski by Marcello Bacciarelli, 1786. A Treasure of Royal Scandals. The Polish count was kind, sophisticated, and in love with Catherine.

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Catherine the Great: The New Empress Made Friends

catherine the great friends

They had a happy relationship. Catherine took the opportunity to seize power and usurp her husband, claiming the throne for her own. That is how she discovered the ideas of the Catherine learned about history, politics, and diplomacy. She, apparently, was quite innocent back then and fell for his game, believing he loved her. After Potemkin died, Catherine did everything possible to keep Platon by her side, including giving him government positions, although he was not a capable man.

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catherine the great friends

I have said that she was quite small, and yet on the days when she made her public appearances, with her head held high, her eagle-like stare and a countenance accustomed to command, all this gave her such an air of majesty that to me she might have been Queen of the World; she wore the sashes of three orders, and her costume was both simple and regal; it consisted of a muslin tunic embroidered with gold fastened by a diamond belt, and the full sleeves were folded back in the Asiatic style. But then the empress found out that Grigory had been cheating on her with different women. Catherine shared in the general European craze for all things Chinese, and made a point of collecting Chinese art and buying porcelain in the popular chinoiserie style of architecture and gardening. Prascovja and Ivan were both exiled from court. She loved to dance and ride horses. Progressive historians argue that many of the lurid stories about Catherine are vicious gossip spread by her enemies, which have now evolved into urban legends. She relied heavily on Potemkin for friendship and advice, and it seems that he often vetted her future choice of lover.

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