The importance of Catherine II for Russian history is so important that it can be compared with Peter I, nicknamed the Great. The accession of new lands to the empire, the expansion of the strategic and economic capabilities of the state, the impressive military victories achieved by skill, but not by numbers on sea and on land, new cities that have become Russia's outposts in the south, are just a short and incomplete list of the achievements of this outstanding ruler. But it is enough to understand why Catherine 2 was called the Great.
Decisiveness, manifested in the most severe moments, the ability to take risks and even crime, if necessary to achieve a serious goal - these qualities, addressed to the benefit of Russia, were part of its character.
The biography of Catherine the Great began in 1729. The clan from which Frederick came was noble, but not rich. And Fike, as she was called at home, would be one of the many European noblewomen whose fate had sunk into oblivion because of her mediocrity, if not for the palace coup in Russia. In 1741, Elizaveta Petrovna came to power , and she was the aunt of Peter Holstein, the future emperor Peter III, the grandson of Peter I, the narrow-minded Frederick.
They were destined to get married, although they did not feel sympathy for each other. Neither the groom nor the bride shone with external beauty.
The name "Catherine" was acquired by the future empress after the rite of Orthodox baptism. The German Frederic not only changed her religious denomination, she sincerely wanted to become Russian, and she succeeded. She learned the language perfectly, although until her last days she had a light accent.
There are several versions of the answer to the question: "Why was Catherine 2 called the Great even when she did not fully prove herself as a statesman?"
Unsuccessful family life, especially its intimate side, forced both spouses to seek joy on the side. Aristocrat Saltykov, then the gentry Ponyatovsky became Catherine’s lovers by the tacit permission of her husband, who granted his wife freedom, without depriving her, however, of himself. Then came the turn of Orlov, the brave man and the daredevil.
In 1761, Empress Elizabeth died, and the question arose of who would rule Russia. Peter III was by no means the infantile and narrow-minded male teenager described in numerous works of art. Having learned the science of public administration, he could well have been king, at least in such a calm country as the empire was in the Elizabethan era. However, one of the reasons why Catherine 2 was called the Great was precisely because she was not happy with the situation in which everything was going “well.” The plot of the conspiracy matured in her head, as a result of which Peter III renounced the throne, and was later killed.
The empress’s iron grip allowed her to crack down on the Pugachev rebellion, defeat the war with Turkey, solve the Polish question, conclude favorable foreign political alliances for the country and crack down on enemies.
The golden age is the period when Catherine the Great ruled Russia. The personality biography and the history of the country are intertwined and form a single whole.
The expansion of the empire's borders to the south, the accession of fertile lands and harbors favorable for the creation of ports, ensured foreign trade turnover and food abundance. The victory of Ushakov's squadron in Chesmenskaya Bay, the capture of the Crimean Peninsula, Bessarabia, the defeat of the Turks at Rymnik, the founding of cities such as Odessa, Kherson, Nikolaev, Ovidiopol and other Russian outposts on the southern borders - all these facts eloquently explain why Catherine 2 was called Great.