Презентация на английском языке "Екатерина II"

Russian emperor Catherine II The great.

• Catherine II 'the Great', Empress of Russia (1729-1796), is referred to as an 'enlightened monarch'. A German Princess, born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, was the daughter of an obscure German prince, Christian August von Anhalt-Zerbst, also related through her mother to the dukes of Holstein. At age 14 she was chosen to be the wife of Karl Ulrich, grandson of Peter the Great. She married Peter III in Russia and changed her name to 'Catherine' when she accepted the Russian Orthodox faith.

• The marriage was unsuccessful due to Peter lll's mental immaturity but soon Catherine became popular with several powerful political groups. She also corresponded with great minds of her era, including Voltaire and Diderot and then, in 1762 Catherine became the Empress of Russia.

In Russia she had dreamed of establishing a reign of order and justice, of spreading education and developing a national culture. First of all, in 1767 she convened a commission composed of delegates from all the provinces and from all social classes for ascertaining the true wishes of people and framing a constitution.

• Then, in 1785 Catherine issued a charter that freed the nobles from state service and taxes and gave the nobles full control over their serfs and lands. Moreover, after a peasant revolt in 1773 led by Yemelyan Pugachev, Catherine instituted several reforms. For examle, she encouraged the modernization of agriculture and industry and gave equal rights to Muslims in Russia, including the right to build mosques.

In fact, Catherine made Russia the dominant power in the Middle East after her first Russo-Turkish War against the Ottoman Empire. She annexed the Crimea in 1783. She also encouraged the colonization of Alaska.

In addition, she became known as a patron of the arts, literature and education. Catherine founded The Hermitage Museum as Catherine's personal collection and the famous Smolny Institute for noble young ladies.As you know, Gavrila Derzhavin and other writers of her epoch, supported by Catherine, laid the foundation for the great writers of the nineteenth century.

• Catherine died on November 5, 1796, and was buried at the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg .
• Catherine's the great monument was erected in 1873 in front of Pushkin's theater.