Catherine The Second as Femida

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Catherine II of Russia, also known as Catherine the Great, was the most renowned and longest-ruling female leader in Russian history, reigning from 1762 until her death at age 67 in 1796. Born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia, she seized power following a coup d'état that led to the assassination of her husband Peter III. Russia flourished under her reign, expanding its borders and growing stronger than ever before, earning recognition as one of Europe's great powers. Throughout her rule, Catherine relied heavily on her influential favorites, particularly Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin. She was aided by highly successful generals such as Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Rumyantsev, and admirals like Fyodor Ushakov, who governed at a time when the Russian Empire was rapidly expanding through conquest and diplomacy. In the south, the Crimean Khanate was defeated after victories over the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish wars, and Russia colonized vast territories along 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. Catherine reformed the administration of Russian guberniyas, establishing new cities and towns on her orders. An admirer of Peter the Great, she continued to modernize Russia along Western European lines. However, military conscription and economy remained dependent on serfdom, leading to increased reliance on serfs. This was a major reason behind several rebellions, including Pugachev's Rebellion by cossacks and peasants. The period of Catherine the Great's rule, known as the Catherinian Era, is often considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire and the Russian nobility. The Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility, issued during Peter III's short reign and confirmed by Catherine, freed Russian nobles from compulsory military or state service. Construction of many noble mansions in the classical style endorsed by the Empress transformed the country. She enthusiastically supported the ideals of The Enlightenment, earning her status as an enlightened despot. As a patron of the arts, she presided over the age of the Russian Enlightenment, during which the Smolny Institute was established - Europe's first state-financed higher education institution for women.