Catherine the Great

 Empress Catherine II of Russia

Catherine the Great is arguably the most influential, effective, and revolutionary ruler to ever govern Russia. She possessed remarkable intellect, an outstanding vision, and an incredible willingness to adopt change and Enlightenment ideals. The magnificence of her reign was extraordinary, and she was praised by Voltaire with titles such as “The Star of the North” and “Semiramis of Russia”. As a direct result of her rule, Russia was eventually able to become a European power nation. Empress Catherine II dedicated herself to ensuring the betterment of Russia, and her determination was rewarded with success. Although offered the title of “Catherine the Great” during her life, she rejected it, saying “I leave it to posterity to judge impartially what I have done”. After analyzing the entirety of her reign, it becomes quite clear that she has earned and definitely deserves the distinction of “great”. The following is the legacy of Empress Catherine II of Russia.