Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great (1729-1796) was the longest-reigning Russian ruler as Empress of Russia from 1762 until her death. Born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst in Prussia, she married the heir to the Russian throne and orchestrated a coup to depose her husband and become ruler herself. An enlightened despot, Catherine revitalized Russia through territorial expansion, promotion of the arts and sciences, and attempts at modernizing the Russian Empire. She became one of the most powerful and influential leaders of her era, establishing Russia as a great European power.During the Russian war against Ukraine, some of the monuments dedicated to the Catherine the Great were demolished in Ukraine. Under her reign, Russia gained control over much of present-day Ukraine through the Partitions of Poland. She conducted policies of Russification and religious conversion of the Ukrainian population to the Russian Orthodox faith. Catherine abolished the autonomy previously granted to the Cossack Hetmanate. She sought to suppress Ukrainian cultural identity by banning the use of the Ukrainian language in schools and publications. [Claude AI]