Lucy Ward is a British journalist and author, best known for her 2022 book The Empress and the English Doctor. [1] [2] [3]
Ward grew up in Manchester and trained as a journalist with the Bradford Telegraph and Argus before moving to The Guardian. From 2010 to 2012, she and her family lived in Moscow. [4]
Catherine IAlekseevna Mikhailova was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1727.
Catherine II, most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III. Under her long reign, inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment, Russia experienced a renaissance of culture and sciences, which led to the founding of many new cities, universities, public libraries and theatres. At that time Russia became the new homeland for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, and became recognized as one of the great powers of Europe.
Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous construction projects, and her strong opposition to Prussian policies.
Peter III Fyodorovich was Emperor of Russia from 5 January 1762 until 9 July of the same year, when he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine II. He was born in the German city of Kiel as Charles Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, the grandson of Peter the Great and great-grandson of Charles XI of Sweden.
Tsarina or tsaritsa is the title of a female autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria, Serbia or Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife. The English spelling is derived from the German czarin or zarin, in the same way as the French tsarine / czarine, and the Spanish and Italian czarina / zarina. (A tsar's daughter is a tsarevna.)
Masako is Empress of Japan as the wife of Emperor Naruhito.
Count Alexei (Alexey) Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky was a Russian soldier, general-in-chief, general admiral and statesman, who rose to prominence during the reign of Catherine the Great. His joint victory with Grigory Spiridov and Samuel Greig in the Battle of Chesma put him in the ranks of the outstanding Russian military commanders of all time; and although he lacked naval experience, he was the only authority in those circumstances who could ensure proper co-ordination of action.
Princess Yekaterina Romanovna Dashkova was an influential noblewoman, a major figure of the Russian Enlightenment and a close friend of Empress Catherine the Great. She was part of the coup d'état that placed Catherine on the throne, the first woman in the world to head a national academy of sciences, the first woman in Europe to hold a government office and the president of the Russian Academy, which she helped found. She also published prolifically, with original and translated works on many subjects, and was invited by Benjamin Franklin to become the first female member of the American Philosophical Society.
During and after the reign of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, whose long rule led to the modernisation of the Russian Empire, many urban legends arose, some legends based on true events, concerning her sexual behaviour.
The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the only award for women; the Insignia of Saint Olga existed briefly from 1916 to 1917, but ceased with the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
Countess Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova was a Russian noblewoman and lady-in-waiting. She was a mistress of Emperor Peter III of Russia. During their affair, rumors suggested that Peter had intentions of divorcing his wife Catherine in order to marry Vorontsova.
The Russian plague epidemic of 1770–1772, also known as the Plague of 1771, was the last large-scale outbreak of plague in central Russia, claiming between 52,000 and 100,000 lives in Moscow alone. The bubonic plague epidemic that originated in the Moldovan theatre of the 1768–1774 Russian-Turkish war in January 1770 swept northward through Ukraine and central Russia, peaking in Moscow in September 1771 and causing the Plague Riot. The epidemic reshaped the map of Moscow, as new cemeteries were established beyond the 18th-century city limits.
Prince Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov was a favourite of the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (1772), state and military figure, collector, patron of arts, and General-in-Chief.
Clarissa Ward is a British-American television journalist who is the chief international correspondent for CNN. Previously, she was with CBS News, based in London. Before her CBS News position, Ward was a Moscow-based news correspondent for ABC News programs.
Irreligion was the official state policy during the Soviet Union and was rigorously enforced. This led to the persecution of Christians in the country. Since the collapse of Communism, Russia has seen an upsurge of religion. Adding together those who are undecided, those who are spiritual but not religious, and those who are atheistic, as of a 2012 survey, 27.5% of Russians claim no particular religious affiliation.
Baron Thomas Dimsdale was an English medical doctor, banker and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1790. He was created Baron Dimsdale of the Russian Empire by Catherine the Great after inoculating her against smallpox. His cousin, housekeeper and third wife Elizabeth Dimsdale was a diarist and recipe collector.
Neoclassical architecture in Russia developed in the second half of the 18th century, especially after Catherine the Great succeeded to the throne on June 28, 1762, becoming Empress of Russia. Neoclassical architecture developed in many Russian cities, first of all St. Petersburg, which was undergoing its transformation into a modern capital throughout the reign of Catherine II.
The Pushkin House Book Prize is an annual book prize, awarded to the best non-fiction writing on Russia in the English language. The prize was inaugurated in 2013. The prize amount as of 2020 has been £10,000. The advisory board for the prize is made up of Russia experts including Rodric Braithwaite, Andrew Jack, Bridget Kendall, Andrew Nurnberg, Marc Polonsky, and Douglas Smith.
The Great is an alternate historical and satirical comedy-drama television series very loosely based on the rise to power of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. The series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter III and Peter's body double Yemelyan Pugachev.
Catherine the Great is a British-American television miniseries written by Nigel Williams and directed by Philip Martin for Sky Atlantic and HBO Miniseries. It stars Helen Mirren as the titular Catherine the Great.