I got SO MANY requests for Catherine the Great this week & last because of the Hulu show. I watched a few episodes and it’s amazing so far but I haven’t had a chance to finish yet. I actually didn’t know much about Catherine the Great (besides the horse myth….yikes) so this was interesting to research! One thing I wasn’t expecting was how difficult researching her hair color would be. Sources and portraits show Catherine with beautiful blue eyes, but they differ sometimes on her hair. In the show and in one or two sources she is depicted as a blonde, but many more sources and portraits show her with rich dark hair - so that’s what I went with here..Catherine II (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) was born in 1729 - this portrait was dated to the mid 1760s, so it puts her approximately in her mid 30s. Known as Catherine the Great, she was Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796 - the country's longest-ruling female leader. She was married to the inept Tsar Peter III upon arriving in Russia, and came to power in a coup that she organized herself. Under her rule, Russia thrived, growing larger and stronger until it became one of the main powers of Eurasia. Catherine was an admirer of Peter the Great, and embarked on a modernization campaign of Russia. Despite her efforts, Russia still had its shortcomings - Russia was still using serf labor while Catherine ruled - causing several rebellions and uprisings.Catherine was a supporter of the arts, humanities, and a supporter of the Enlightenment. Many historians agree that Russia was in its “Golden Age” while Catherine ruled.
Left Portrait: Public Domain, Right Portrait base: iStock photo. Created using Photoshop.
