The story of her humble origins was considered by later generations of tsars to be a state secret. Apparently this had been overlooked by Catherine, who was fond of both. Enter Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst. 5 April]1684 17 May[O.S. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. All men should be considered equal before the law. She was also the first royal owner of the Tsarskoye Selo estate, where the Catherine Palace still bears her name. Her true passion, however, was ambition; since Peter was incapable of ruling, she saw quite early the possibility of eliminating him and governing Russia herself. Peter III abdicated and was assassinated eight days later. At this point, the war with Turkey ended in a Russian victory, and Catherine sent her crack troops to crush the rebellion. By distributing the so-called crown lands to her favourites and ministers, she worsened the lot of the peasants, who had enjoyed a certain autonomy. The Instruction of Catherine the Great was a Russian political document prepared by the empress as a guide for a legislative commission considering internal reforms. She championed the arts and reorganized the Russian law code. During her husbands lifetime alone, she had at least three lovers; if her hints are to be believed, none of her three children, not even the heir apparent Paul, was fathered by her husband. Catherine had a great deal of influence on who could gain access to her husband. In September 1762, she was crowned with great ceremony in Moscow, the ancient capital of the tsars, and began a reign that was to span 34 years as empress of Russia under the title of Catherine II. It is not known whether she was his mistress, or household maid. Corrections? Catherine had only to strike: she had the support of the army, especially the regiments at St. Petersburg, where Grigory Orlov, her lover, was stationed; the court; and public opinion in both capitals (Moscow and St. Petersburg). Catherine II of Russia (Also titled Catherine the Great or Yekaterina Aleksei'evna) (April 21, 1729, Stettin, Germany November 17, 1796 Tsarskoye Selo, Russia) was Empress of Russia.She came to power by a Coup d'tat that deposed her husband, who was killed.. Catherine greatly increased the power of the crown. [5] They had twelve children, two of whom survived into adulthood, Anna (born 1708) and Yelizaveta (born 1709). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Catherine the Great (May 2, 1729Nov. Russian Empress Catherine I was the second wife of Peter I the Great and Empress of Russia from 1725 to 1727. When Peter elevated the Russian Tsardom to Empire, Catherine became Empress. However, on this single issue, the reduction of military expenses, Catherine was able to have her way. The life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. For that reason during a meeting of a council to decide on a successor, a coup was arranged by Menshikov and others in which the guards regiments with whom Catherine was very popular proclaimed her the ruler of Russia. Russia at the time was ruled by Peter the Greats daughter, the empress Elizabeth, whose 20-year reign greatly stabilized the monarchy. She was the second wife of Peter the Great. Truly dedicated to her adopted country, she intended to make Russia a prosperous and powerful state. At age 14 she was chosen to be the wife of Karl Ulrich, duke of Holstein-Gottorp, grandson of Peter the Great and heir to the throne of Russia as the grand duke Peter.