Gifted with literary talent, receptive and sensitive to the phenomena of life around her, Catherine took an active part in the literature of her time. Excited by her literary movement was devoted to the development of educational ideas of the 18th century. Thoughts on education, briefly outlined in one of the chapters of “Instruction,” were subsequently developed in detail by Catherine in allegorical tales: “About Tsarevich Chlor” (1781) and “About Tsarevich Fevey” (1782) and, mainly, in “Instructions to Prince N.” Saltykov", given upon his appointment as tutor to the Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich (1784).
Catherine mainly borrowed the pedagogical ideas expressed in these works from Montaigne and Locke: from the first she took general view for the purpose of education, she used the second when developing particulars. Guided by Montaigne, Catherine puts the moral element in first place in education - the rooting in the soul of humanity, justice, respect for laws, and condescension towards people. At the same time, it requires that mental and physical side education received proper development. Personally raising her grandchildren until the age of seven, she compiled an entire educational library for them. Catherine also wrote “Notes on Russian History” for the Grand Dukes.
In purely fictional works, which include a magazine article and dramatic works, Catherine is much more original than in works of a pedagogical and legislative nature. Pointing out the actual contradictions to the ideals that existed in society, her comedies and satirical articles were supposed to significantly contribute to the development of public consciousness, making the importance and expediency of the reforms undertaken by her clearer.
The beginning of Catherine's public literary activity dates back to 1769, when she became an active contributor and inspirer of the satirical magazine "Everything and Everything". The patronizing tone adopted by "Everything and Everything" in relation to other magazines, and the instability of its direction, soon armed almost all the magazines of that time against it; her main opponent was the brave and direct “Drone” N.I. Novikova. The latter's harsh attacks on judges, governors and prosecutors greatly displeased "Everything"; It is impossible to say positively who conducted the polemics against “Drone” in this magazine, but it is reliably known that one of the articles directed against Novikov belonged to the empress herself.
Between 1769 and 1783, when Catherine again acted as a journalist, she wrote five comedies, and between them her best plays: “About Time” and “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day.” The purely literary merits of Catherine's comedies are low: they have little action, the intrigue is too simple, and the denouement is monotonous. They were written in the spirit and model of contemporary French comedies, in which servants are more developed and intelligent than their masters. But, at the same time, in Catherine’s comedies purely Russian social vices are ridiculed and Russian types appear. Hypocrisy, superstition, bad education, the pursuit of fashion, blind imitation of the French - these are the themes that Catherine developed in her comedies. These themes had already been outlined earlier in our satirical magazines of 1769 and, by the way, “Everything and Everything”; but what was presented in magazines in the form of separate pictures, characteristics, sketches, in Catherine’s comedies received a more complete and vivid image.
The types of the stingy and heartless prude Khanzhakhina, the superstitious gossip Vestnikova in the comedy "About Time", the petimeter Firlyufyushkov and the projector Nekopeikov in the comedy "Mrs. Vorchalkina's Name Day" are among the most successful in Russian comic literature of the 18th century. Variations of these types are repeated in other comedies of Catherine.
By 1783, Catherine’s active participation in the “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word”, published at the Academy of Sciences, edited by Princess E.R. Dashkova. Here Catherine placed a number of satirical articles entitled common name"Facts and Fables." Initially, the purpose of these articles was, apparently, a satirical depiction of the weaknesses and funny aspects of the society contemporary to the empress, and the originals for such portraits were often taken by the empress from among those close to her. Soon, however, “Were and Fables” began to serve as a reflection of the magazine life of “Interlocutor”. Catherine was the unofficial editor of this magazine; as can be seen from her correspondence with Dashkova, she read many of the articles sent for publication in the magazine while still in manuscript. Some of these articles touched her to the quick: she entered into polemics with their authors, often making fun of them.
For the reading public, Catherine’s participation in the magazine was no secret; Articles and letters were often sent to the address of the author of Fables and Fables, in which rather transparent hints were made. Catherine tried as much as possible to maintain composure and not give away her incognito identity; only once, angered by Fonvizin’s “impudent and reprehensible” questions, she so clearly expressed her irritation in “Facts and Fables” that Fonvizin considered it necessary to rush with a letter of repentance. In addition to “Facts and Fables,” Catherine published in “Interlocutor” several small polemical and satirical articles, mostly ridiculing the pompous writings of random employees of “Interlocutor” - Lyuboslov and Count S.P. Rumyantseva.
One of these articles (“The Society of the Unknowing, a daily note”), in which Princess Dashkova saw a parody of the meetings of the newly founded, in her opinion, Russian Academy, served as the reason for the termination of Catherine’s participation in the magazine.
In subsequent years (1785 - 1790), Catherine wrote 13 plays, not counting dramatic proverbs in French, intended for the Hermitage theater. The Masons had long attracted the attention of Catherine. According to her, she familiarized herself in detail with the enormous Masonic literature and found nothing in Freemasonry except “crazy stuff.” The stay in St. Petersburg (in 1780) of Cagliostro, whom she called a scoundrel worthy of the gallows, further armed her against the Freemasons. Receiving alarming news about the increasingly increasing influence of Moscow Masonic circles, seeing among her entourage many followers and defenders of the Masonic teaching, Catherine decided to fight this “stupidity” with literary weapons and within two years (1785 - 86) wrote three comedies (“ Deceiver", "Seduced" and "Shaman of Siberia"), in which she ridiculed Freemasonry. Only in the comedy "The Seduced" are there life traits reminiscent of the Moscow Freemasons. "The Deceiver" is directed against Cagliostro. In “The Siberian Shaman”, Catherine, obviously unfamiliar with the essence of Masonic teaching, did not think to bring it on the same level with shamanic tricks.
Catherine’s satire did not have much effect: Freemasonry continued to develop, and in order to deal a decisive blow to it, the Empress no longer resorted to meek methods of correction, as she called her satire, but to drastic and decisive administrative measures. In all likelihood, Catherine’s acquaintance with Shakespeare, in French or German translation, also dates back to this time. She remade The Witches of Windsor for the Russian stage, but this rework turned out to be extremely weak and bears very little resemblance to the original Shakespeare. In imitation of his historical chronicles, she composed two plays from the lives of Rurik and Oleg. The main significance of these “Historical Representations,” which are extremely weak in literary terms, lies in the political and moral ideas that Catherine puts into the mouths of the characters. Of course, these are the thoughts of Catherine herself.
In comic operas, Catherine did not pursue any serious goal: these were situational plays in which the main role was played by the musical and choreographic side. The plots for the operas are taken, for the most part, from folk tales and epics known to her from handwritten collections. Only “The Woe-Bogatyr Kosometovich,” despite its fairy-tale character, contains an element of modernity: this opera showed the Swedish king Gustav III, who at that time opened hostile actions against Russia, in a comic light, and was removed from the repertoire immediately after the conclusion of peace with Sweden. Catherine's French plays, the so-called “proverbs,” are small one-act plays, the plots of which were, for the most part, episodes from modern life. They do not have much significance, repeating themes and types already developed in other comedies of Catherine.
Catherine herself did not attach importance to her literary activity. “I look at my writings,” she wrote to Grimm, “as trifles. I love to do experiments in all kinds, but it seems to me that everything I wrote is rather mediocre, why, apart from entertainment, I did not attach any importance to it.”
Literary works Catherine
Catherine's literary works were published twice in 1893, edited by V.F. Solntsev and A.I. Vvedensky. Complete collection Catherine's work in 12 volumes was published by the Academy of Sciences in 1901 - 1908, first edited by A.N. Pypin, and after his death - Y. Barskova. This edition includes many previously unpublished works of Catherine and her autobiographical notes. - Wed. Pekarsky "Materials for the history of the journal and literary activities of Catherine II" (St. Petersburg, 1863); Dobrolyubov, article about the “Interlocutor of lovers of the Russian Word”; "Works of Derzhavin", edited by J. Grot (St. Petersburg, 1873, vol. VIII, pp. 310 - 339); Shumigorsky "Essays from Russian history. I. Empress-publicist" (St. Petersburg, 1887); A.N. Pypin "History of Russian Literature", vol. IV (St. Petersburg, 1907); A.S. Arkhangelsky "Empress Catherine II in the history of Russian literature and education" (Kazan, 1897); A. Rozhdestvin " Educational activities Empress Catherine II" (Kazan, 1897); N. Dashkevich "Literary depiction of Empress Catherine II and her reign" (Kyiv, 1898); V. Klyuchevsky "Empress Catherine II" ("Russian Thought", 1896, No. 11); P Morozov "Catherine II as a Writer" ("Education", 1896, No. 11); A.E. Gruzinsky "Empress Catherine II and the literary movement of her era" ("Russian Theologian", 1896, No. 12); V. Botsanovsky " Empress Catherine II" ("Narodnoe Slovo", 1896 - 97, No. 3); S. Kologrivov "Newly found work of Catherine the Great." ("Russian Archive", 1908, No. 6); I. Zamotin "Early romantic trends in Russian literature "("Russian Philosophical Question", 1900, I - IV); A. Semeka "Russian Rosicrucians and the writings of Empress Catherine II against Freemasonry" ("Journal of the Ministry National Education", 1902, № 2).
The Great Empress, whose reforms are compared with the activities of Peter. Writer and publisher. Patron and collector. A subtle psychologist and ruler who brutally suppressed riots. What was she really like? A selection of books about Catherine 2 (the Great) will tell about her personality, time of reign, and reforms. Their authors, based on reliable sources: documents and letters stored in the archives of different countries, create a portrait of the empress and describe the era of her reign, the life of the nobility and serfs. Among the books about Catherine 2 (the Great) there are many fiction novels, the authors of which offer to the reader their view of the activities and personality of the empress.
Catherine the Great - N. Ivanov, P. N. Krasnov, E. A. Salias
A book that includes 2 historical stories and a novel, the main character of which was the Great Empress Catherine II. They describe the difficult time before her accession to the throne, marked by conspiracies, overt struggles for power and military campaigns.
Catherine the Great - Virginia Rounding
A book telling about the childhood, youth and family of Princess Fike, her great desire to become Empress of Russia, marriage, life in a foreign country, and the birth of her son. Personal life and emotions, experiences not of the Great Empress, but of an ordinary woman. The book contains excerpts from personal letters.
The Empress's mistake. Ekaterina and Potemkin - Pisarenko K.A.
Empress Catherine - a wise and prudent ruler, an imperious and demanding woman - in this novel appears before the reader in an unusual way. Doubting and careless, jealous and dependent on her men, she surprises and makes you empathize.
Illustrated history of Catherine II - Brickner Alexander Gustavovich
A book by the Russian historian Brickner, containing a large number of engravings, images of wooden decorations and excerpts from letters, consists of 3 volumes telling about the path of the future empress to the throne, her inner and foreign policy. It was published in 1885.
Catherine the Great - Caroli Eriksson
A book based on the memoirs of Catherine II. Peculiar artistic biography The Great Empress of Russia, which pays a lot of attention to her childhood, marriage and personal life, her favorites, talks about her extraordinary ability to surround herself with the right people.
Catherine II the Great: encyclopedia - Volpe M.L.
A popular encyclopedia aimed at a wide range of reading circle and collected all the most significant and interesting research by Russian historians about the Great Empress Catherine, who strengthened statehood, expanded the territory of the country, and the difficult era of her reign.
Catherine the Great. Heart of the Empress - Maria Romanova
Without claiming historical authenticity, the author creates a multifaceted, vibrant world of the “gallant age”, telling about the life and reign of amazing woman, who loved life very much, and the people she loved, and describing everyday pictures of court life.
The truth about Catherine’s “golden age” - Andrei Burovsky
The other side of the coin of the reign of Catherine II. Here you will not find praise for the empress; on the contrary, the author notes her mistakes and incompetence in some matters, talks about the falsification of documents, as well as the meanness and intrigues of the nobility and the lack of rights of the serfs.
Catherine the Great - Olga Eliseeva
Biographical novel about the life and reign of Catherine II. The heyday of the nobility, the expansion of Russian territories, the strengthening of power, reforms and at the same time the mysterious death of Perth III, the seizure of power, the brutal suppression of riots and conspiracies of high-ranking nobles. A controversial and mysterious era.
Around the throne of Catherine the Great - Zinaida Chirkova
The novel is dedicated to the empress's inner circle. Catherine II distributed almost all important positions to her favorites and loyal friends. Despite this, there were always people next to her who tried to manipulate the queen through her men, but she always remained loyal to Russia.
Catherine the Great - Nikolai Pavlenko
Book famous historian N. Pavlenko is devoted to the study of the history of the reign of Empress Catherine, who ruled autocratically in Russia for 34 years. Her plans and accomplishments, personal life, relationships with courtiers and nobility, as well as the fate of the entire Empire in this turbulent time.
Passion of Northern Messalina - Elena Arsenyeva
The Empress's personal life comes to the fore in this book. Unfulfilled dreams and the hopes of young Fike and disappointment in the men of Catherine the Second. At the center of the story is the crazy love of the Empress and Alexander Lansky and her experiences after his death.
Catherine the Great. Romance of the Empress - Kazimir Waliszewski
A historical novel by the Polish historian Waliszewski about the Great Empress, about whom odes were composed during her lifetime. French philosophers were good friends with her, and soldiers went into battle with her name on their lips. Catherine II - whose ambiguous personality causes a lot of controversy among researchers.
The last love of Catherine the Great - Natalya Pavlishcheva
A historical novel telling about the relationship of the Great Empress with her last favorites: Lansky, whom she truly fell in love with, Dmitriev-Mamonov, who was burdened by their relationship, Platon Zubov, who turned out to be the most cunning and calculating of her lovers.
Catherine the Great and her family - Voldemar Balyazin
Catherine takes the throne, having carried out a palace coup with the help of the Orlov brothers. Having become empress, she rules harshly but fairly. After her death, power passes to her son, Paul I, who knows how to make enemies for himself. His reign lasted 5 years. He was killed by the conspirators
Favorites of Catherine the Great - Nina Matveevna Sorotokina
Educated, strong-willed, with easy character And good feeling humor, Catherine did a lot for the development of Russia. Both Russian and foreign historians have always written about this. But now books dedicated to the personal life of the Empress and an entire army her favorites.
Catherine II without retouching
A publication that includes memories of the Great Empress and her close, trusted persons, based on personal correspondence and little-known evidence. It will show what Catherine was like in everyday life, evaluate her actions impartially and see the results of her reign in a new way.
Naval commanders and seafarers of Catherine the Great - Mikhail Tsiporukha
The Great Empress Catherine favored research activities to study the seas located in remote areas of Russia. During her reign, the fleet and shipbuilding developed, and much attention was paid to the training of naval commanders.
Catherine the Great. Biography – Gina Kaus
A biographical novel by the Austro-American writer Gina Kaus (Regina Wiener), describing the main milestones in the life of Catherine II. Reliable facts are intertwined with fiction. Drawing bright pictures life of the Russian state, describes the people surrounding the empress.
Great Catherine - Sergei Petrovich Alekseev
Stories for children by the famous Russian writer S.P. Alekseev about the life and work of the Russian Empress Catherine II, consisting of 5 parts telling about her childhood, arrival in Russia, political and economic reforms, development of the army and navy.
Seven mysteries of Catherine 2, or Mistakes of youth - Nina Moleva
The reign of this great woman was marked the most important transformations in politics, economics, architecture and art. But at the same time, Catherine’s age left behind many mysteries that remain unsolved by scientists to this day.
Voyage of Catherine II, or Lieutenant in Love - Nina Moleva
Grigory Potemkin introduced the empress to the works of the portrait painter Borovikovsky. They never met personally, but Catherine favored him. Vasily Kapnist, who suspected the artist of having an affair with his wife, did everything to ensure that the monarch would stop patronizing him.
Catherine II - Alexander Bushkov
The book is a study of the reign of Catherine the Great. The flourishing of statehood, culture, art. This is a time filled with the most important events for Russian history, which made our state one of the most powerful powers.
Catherine the Great - Olga Tchaikovskaya
One of best books about Catherine the Great, telling about the achievements of her reign (economic reforms, expansion of territories, development of the army and navy, culture, etc.) and its shortcomings (enslavement of peasants, brutal suppression of riots, illiteracy, favoritism).
Catherine II in the memoirs of contemporaries, historians’ assessments - Morgan Rakhmatullin
A book consisting of real memories about the empress, her contemporaries and people personally known to Catherine. Derzhavin, Shcherbatov, Ruliere, Klyuchevsky, Bilbasov and others gave their assessments of the empress’s activities, her ability to govern the country, as well as her personality as a whole.
Empress of love. There were also fables about Catherine II - Mikhail Volpe
This book is more entertaining than historical. It consists of stories about the personal life of the Great Empress Catherine (curious and not at all funny cases). Some of them are confirmed by various historical sources, while others are fictitious.
Secrets of the era of Catherine II - A. V. Shishov
The book tells about the empress's path to power, the reforms carried out during her reign, describes the wars that were fought during these years, paying attention to little-known ones (the repartition of Poland, the Persian campaign), talks about the personality of Catherine and her faithful companions. Catherine II and her world. Articles different years— David Griffiths
We bring to your attention a beautifully illustrated collection of Griffiths's articles (popular, little-known and published for the first time), in which the author analyzes the changes in the political and diplomatic views of Empress Catherine II over time.
Legislation of Empress Catherine II. 1783-1796 - Vladimir Tomsinov
This book is an excellent assistant for students and teachers of history or Faculty of Law. It published the most important laws and decrees issued by the Empress, for example, the decree “On the establishment of the Russian Academy” or “On the rules for promotion to civil ranks.”
Empress Catherine II. Her life and reign - Brickner A.
The historical research of the scientist and historian A. Brickner will introduce you to the life of Catherine the Great. This woman incomprehensibly combined a cruel ruler, a subtle psychologist, wise politician both legislator and passionate, loving woman with a very difficult fate.
Secrets of the golden age of Catherine II. Courtiers, Freemasons, Favorites - Nina Moleva
Catherine's era holds many mysteries. Palace intrigues, a mysterious Masonic order, guards loyal to the Empress... This book lifts the veil of mystery, telling about this time from the perspective of Fyodor Rokotov, who personally knew Catherine II, her husband and son
Works of Catherine 2 - Catherine II
A creative person who loves to write, educated - Catherine left behind a huge number of memoirs, fairy tales, comedies, essays, the Project of a New Regulation compiled by her personally, letters that she wrote to Voltaire, Potemkin and others. This book includes her selected works.
Secret notes about Russia during the reign of Catherine II and Paul I - C. Masson
A unique book of memories of a Frenchman who lived for several years in Russia. Before the reader is an inside look at court life, which the author characterizes vividly and often impartially, and images of an enlightened ruler and her unbalanced son.
Catherine II. A novel about the Russian Empress - Pavel Muruzi
A documentary novel about the Russian Empress Catherine II. The German princess marries Peter III, comes to power as a result of a coup and, thanks to her activities, becomes the most famous ruler of the Russian Empire.
Catherine II and Louis XVI. Russian-French relations, 1774-1792 — Cherkasov P.P.
The book tells how relations between Russia and France developed at the end of the 18th century, about the “Russian” policies of Louis XVI and the “French” policies of Catherine II, as well as the similarities and differences in the positions of the two great powers on political issues and the empress’s attitude to the revolution in France.
History of the reign of Catherine II - M. Lyubavsky
The book is a course of lectures by the historian M. Lyubavsky on the history of Catherine’s era, recommended for students and teachers. The appendix to the book contains a brief story about the reign of Paul I, the activities of Prince Constantine and the development of relations between Russia and Poland
The Black Sea Fleet during the reign of Catherine II. Volume 1 - Galina Grebenshchikova
The first volume of the monograph, dedicated to the study of the origins of the fleet in the Catherine era. It is based on archival documents carefully studied by the author. The book describes the tasks that were set for the fleet and the problems that arose during its construction
Catherine II in 90 minutes - Medvedko Yu.
A book from the “In 90 Minutes” series, which simply and clearly tells about the important stages of the development of our country in different periods of history. This book is dedicated to the most famous empress of Russia. Biographical data, reforms, external and domestic politics and the people surrounding Catherine.
Testament of Catherine II - Mikhail Safonov
There is a version that after the death of Catherine the Great, Paul I and the Chief Chamberlain found a will, which stated that her grandson Alexander should become the heir. But future king with an assistant they destroyed it. So was there a will, and what are people willing to do for the sake of power?
Catherine II - Hélène Carrère d'Encausse
Catherine II - German princess, wife of Peter lll - as a result of a palace coup, becomes Empress. During her reign, she managed to make the Russian Empire one of the most powerful states. She loved Russia with all her heart and always acted in its interests.
\"It was time: Catherine's century...\". Catherine II and Crimea. From the pages of documents - Malenko A. Yu.
The Crimean issue was at first undeservedly underestimated, but over time, attitudes towards it began to change. A book based on reliable historical documents, allows you to see these changes and follow Catherine’s activities associated with this peninsula.
Empress Catherine II and her hunting lodge - Grigory Shenkman
Catherine II was not only a prudent politician and a wise ruler, but also a very passionate woman. There are legends about her favorites, but few people know that it was she who instilled in the Russian court a love of hunting. The author introduces us to her hunting lodge, which has survived to this day.
Empress Catherine the Great: Encyclopedia
In this book you can find answers to any questions regarding the biography and activities of Catherine the Great, who during her reign strengthened the power of the state, concluded the most important treaties fateful for the country and increased Russia's political influence on other states.
Catherine the Great - Nina Vasilievna Orlova
Children's book about Catherine II from the "History of Russia" series. It is written in an easy-to-understand style work of art, complemented by beautiful illustrations and contains famous and little known facts about the life and reign of the Great Empress.
Catherine the Great - Henri Troyat
A book by a French writer of Russian origin from the series \"Russian biographies\", which has been published many times in several languages of the world. It tells in detail about the life and work of Empress Catherine the Great, who made Russia a developed and powerful state.
Empress Catherine the Great - Anisimov E.
People who perceived themselves as one generation: old people who remembered Perth, young men the same age as the last favorite of the Empress, girls who had just come out into the world... Catherine’s special generation, to which she gave a name extraordinary woman, wise and tough, who sincerely loved Russia.
Catherine the Great. The Secret Life of the Empress - Olga Eliseeva
During the reign of Empress Catherine, the most important treaties for the country were concluded, Russia's influence on its neighbors increased significantly, art and architecture developed, the navy and army became indestructible. All this is the political life of Catherine the Second, but there was also a personal one...
Catherine the Great - Mikhail Volkonsky
Few people know that the path to the Russian throne for Catherine the Great was predetermined even before her wedding with Peter. Amazing man, Count Saint-Germain was paving the way for the future empress to the throne. Who is he? For what purpose did he help the German princess become queen of Russia?
Catherine the Great: A Novel - Ivanov V.N.
The young German princess, having arrived in Russia, did not just study the Russian language, she tried to learn to be Russian. For the sake of the throne, she sacrificed her dreams of female happiness and motherhood, and was able to become the ruler who opened the golden age of Russian history.
The Age of Catherine the Great - Gennady Obolensky
She was considered the heir of Peter I, who not only continued his endeavors, but managed to bring Russia to the level of development of European states. Strengthening power, developing the army, navy, culture... How she achieved this and who helped her, the book of G. Obolensky will tell.
Catherine the Great. Personality and era - Erich Donnert
The author of the book, German historian Erich Donnert, talking about Catherine, focuses on her love for Russian culture. During her reign, much attention was paid to painting, theater, and architecture. The Empress personally supported talented people of her era, developing culture as a whole.
Catherine II
Empress of All Russia (June 28, 1762 - November 6, 1796). Her reign is one of the most remarkable in Russian history; and its dark and light sides had a tremendous influence on subsequent events, especially on the mental and cultural development of the country. The wife of Peter III, nee Princess of Anhalt-Zerbt (born April 24, 1729), was naturally gifted with a great mind, strong character; on the contrary, her husband was a weak man, poorly brought up. Not sharing his pleasures, E. devoted herself to reading and soon moved from novels to historical and philosophical books. A select circle formed around her, in which E. enjoyed the greatest confidence first in Saltykov, and then in Stanislav Poniatovsky, later the King of Poland. Her relationship with Empress Elizabeth was not particularly cordial: when E.'s son, Paul, was born, the Empress took the child to her place and rarely allowed the mother to see him. Elizabeth died on December 25, 1761; with the accession of Peter III to the throne, E.'s position became even worse. The coup on June 28, 1762 elevated E. to the throne (see Peter III). The harsh school of life and enormous natural intelligence helped E. both get out of a very difficult situation and lead Russia out of it. The treasury was empty; the monopoly crushed trade and industry; factory peasants and serfs were worried about rumors of freedom, which were renewed every now and then; peasants from the western border fled to Poland. Under such circumstances, E. ascended the throne, the rights to which belonged to her son. But she understood that this son would become a plaything on the throne, like Peter II. The regency was a fragile affair. The fate of Menshikov, Biron, Anna Leopoldovna was in everyone’s memory.
E.'s penetrating gaze stopped equally attentively on the phenomena of life both at home and abroad. Having learned, two months after accession to the throne, that the famous French Encyclopedia had been condemned by the Parisian parliament for atheism and its continuation was prohibited, E. suggested that Voltaire and Diderot publish the encyclopedia in Riga. This one proposal won over the best minds, who then gave direction to public opinion throughout Europe, to E.’s side. In the fall of 1762, E. was crowned and spent the winter in Moscow. In the summer of 1764, Second Lieutenant Mirovich decided to elevate to the throne Ioann Antonovich, the son of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, who was kept in the Shlisselburg fortress. The plan failed - Ivan Antonovich, during an attempt to free him, was shot by one of the guard soldiers; Mirovich was executed by court verdict. In 1764, Prince Vyazemsky, sent to pacify the peasants assigned to the factories, was ordered to investigate the question of the benefits of free labor over hired labor. The same question was proposed to the newly established Economic Society (see Volnoe economic society and Peasants). First of all, the issue of the monastery peasants had to be resolved, which was particularly sharp character even under Elizabeth. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth returned the estates to monasteries and churches, but in 1757 she, along with the dignitaries around her, came to the conviction of the need to transfer the management of church property to secular hands. Peter III ordered that Elizabeth's instructions be fulfilled and the management of church property be transferred to the board of economy. Inventories of monastery property were carried out, under Peter III, extremely roughly. When E. II ascended the throne, the bishops filed complaints with her and asked for the return of control of church property to them. E., on the advice of Bestuzhev-Ryumin, satisfied their desire, canceled the board of economy, but did not abandon her intention, but only postponed its execution; She then ordered that the 1757 commission resume its studies. It was ordered to make new inventories of monastic and church property; but the clergy was also dissatisfied with the new inventories; particularly rebelled against them Rostov Metropolitan Arseny Matseevich. In his report to the synod, he expressed himself harshly, arbitrarily interpreting church historical facts, even distorting them and making comparisons offensive to E.. The Synod presented the matter to the Empress, in the hope (as Solovyov thinks) that E. would show her usual gentleness this time too. The hope was not justified: Arseny’s report caused such irritation in E., which had not been noticed in her either before or since. She could not forgive Arseny for comparing her with Julian and Judas and the desire to make her out to be a violator of her word. Arseny was sentenced to exile to the Arkhangelsk diocese, to the Nikolaev Korelsky Monastery, and then, as a result of new accusations, to deprivation of the monastic dignity and lifelong imprisonment in Revel (see Arseny Matseevich). The following incident from the beginning of her reign is typical for Catherine. The matter of allowing Jews to enter Russia was reported. E. said that starting the reign with a decree on the free entry of Jews would be a bad way to calm minds; It is impossible to recognize entry as harmful. Then Senator Prince Odoevsky suggested looking at what Empress Elizabeth wrote in the margins of the same report. E. demanded a report and read: “I do not want selfish profit from the enemies of Christ.” Turning to the prosecutor general, she said: “I wish this case to be postponed.”
The increase in the number of serfs through huge distributions to the favorites and dignitaries of the populated estates, the establishment of serfdom in Little Russia, completely remains a dark stain on the memory of E. One should not, however, lose sight of the fact that the underdevelopment of Russian society at that time was reflected at every step. So, when E. decided to abolish the torture and proposed this measure to the Senate, the senators expressed fear that if the torture was abolished, no one, going to bed, would be sure whether he would get up alive in the morning. Therefore, E., without abolishing torture publicly, sent out a secret order that in cases where torture was used, judges would base their actions on Chapter X of the Order, in which torture is condemned as a cruel and extremely stupid matter. At the beginning of the reign of E. II, an attempt was renewed to create an institution resembling the Supreme Privy Council or replacing it with the Cabinet, in a new form, under the name permanent council empress. The author of the project was Count Panin. Feldzeichmeister General Villebois wrote to the Empress: “I don’t know who the drafter of this project is, but it seems to me as if, under the guise of protecting the monarchy, he is subtly leaning more towards aristocratic rule.” Villebois was right; but E. herself understood the oligarchic nature of the project. She signed it, but kept it under wraps and it was never made public. Thus Panin's idea of a council of six permanent members remained just a dream; E.'s private council always consisted of rotating members. Knowing how Peter III's defection to Prussia irritated public opinion, Catherine ordered the Russian generals to remain neutral and thereby contributed to ending the war (see. Seven Years' War). The internal affairs of the state required special attention: what was most striking was the lack of justice. E. expressed herself energetically on this matter: “extortion has increased to such an extent that there is hardly the smallest place in the government in which a court would be held without infecting this ulcer; if anyone is looking for a place, he pays; if anyone is defending himself from slander, he defends himself with money; Whether anyone slanderes anyone, he backs up all his cunning machinations with gifts.” E. was especially amazed when she learned that within the current Novgorod province they took money from peasants for swearing allegiance to her. This state of justice forced E. to convene a commission in 1766 to publish the Code. E. handed over to this commission the Order, which it had to follow when drawing up the Code. The order was drawn up on the basis of the ideas of Montesquieu and Beccaria (see Order of Catherine II and the Commission for drawing up a new code). Polish affairs, the first Turkish war that arose from them, and internal unrest suspended the legislative activity of Egypt until 1775. Polish affairs caused the divisions and fall of Poland: under the first partition of 1773, Russia received the current provinces of Mogilev, Vitebsk, and part of Minsk, i.e. most of Belarus (see Poland). The first Turkish war began in 1768 and ended in peace in Kucuk-Kaynarji, which was ratified in 1775. According to this peace, the Porte recognized the independence of the Crimean and Budzhak Tatars; ceded Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn to Russia; opened free passage for Russian ships from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean; granted forgiveness to Christians who took part in the war; allowed Russia's petition in Moldovan cases. During the first Turkish war the plague raged in Moscow, causing a plague riot; In eastern Russia, an even more dangerous rebellion broke out, known as the Pugachevshchina. In 1770, the plague from the army entered Little Russia; in the spring of 1771 it appeared in Moscow; the commander-in-chief (currently the governor-general) Count Saltykov left the city to the mercy of fate. Retired General Eropkin voluntarily took upon himself the difficult responsibility of maintaining order and easing the plague through preventive measures. The townsfolk did not follow his instructions and not only did not burn the clothes and linen of those who died of the plague, but they hid their very death and buried them in the outskirts. The plague intensified: in the early summer of 1771, 400 people died every day. The people crowded in horror at the Barbarian Gate, in front of the miraculous icon. The infection from crowding of people, of course, intensified. The then Moscow Archbishop Ambrose, an enlightened man, ordered the icon to be removed. A rumor immediately spread that the bishop, together with the doctors, had conspired to kill the people. The ignorant and fanatical crowd, mad with fear, killed the worthy archpastor. Rumors spread that the rebels were preparing to set fire to Moscow and exterminate doctors and nobles. Eropkin, with several companies, managed, however, to restore calm. In the last days of September, Count Grigory Orlov, then the closest person to E., arrived in Moscow; but at this time the plague was already weakening and stopped in October. This plague killed 130,000 people in Moscow alone.
The Pugachev rebellion was started by the Yaik Cossacks, dissatisfied with the changes in their Cossack life. In 1773 Don Cossack Emelyan Pugachev took the name of Peter III and raised the banner of rebellion. Catherine entrusted the pacification of the rebellion to Bibikov, who immediately understood the essence of the matter; It’s not Pugachev that’s important, he said, it’s the general displeasure that’s important. The Yaik Cossacks and the rebellious peasants were joined by the Bashkirs, Kalmyks, and Kyrgyz. Bibikov, giving orders from Kazan, moved detachments from all sides to more dangerous places; Prince Golitsyn liberated Orenburg, Mikhelson - Ufa, Mansurov - Yaitsky town. At the beginning of 1774, the rebellion began to subside, but Bibikov died of exhaustion, and the rebellion flared up again: Pugachev captured Kazan and moved to the right bank of the Volga. Bibikov's place was taken by Count P. Panin, but did not replace him. Mikhelson defeated Pugachev near Arzamas and blocked his path to Moscow. Pugachev rushed to the south, took Penza, Petrovsk, Saratov and hanged nobles everywhere. From Saratov he moved to Tsaritsyn, but was repulsed and at Cherny Yar was again defeated by Mikhelson. When Suvorov arrived to the army, the impostor barely held on and was soon betrayed by his accomplices. In January 1775, Pugachev was executed in Moscow (see Pugachevshchina). Since 1775, the legislative activity of E. II was resumed, which, however, had not stopped before. Thus, in 1768, the commercial and noble banks were abolished and the so-called assignat or change bank was established (see Assignations). In 1775 it ceased to exist Zaporozhye Sich , already tending to fall. In the same 1775, the transformation of provincial government began. An institution was published for the management of provinces, which was introduced for twenty whole years: in 1775 it began with the Tver province and ended in 1796 with the establishment of the Vilna province (see Governorate). Thus, the reform of provincial government, begun by Peter the Great, was brought out of the chaotic state by E. II and completed by her. In 1776, E. ordered the word slave to be replaced in petitions with the word loyal subject. Towards the end of the first Turkish war, Potemkin, who strove for great things, became especially important. Together with his collaborator, Bezborodko, he compiled a project known as the Greek one. The grandeur of this project - by destroying the Ottoman Porte, restoring the Greek Empire, to the throne of which Konstantin Pavlovich would be installed - appealed to E. The opponent of Potemkin’s influence and plans, Count N. Panin, tutor of Tsarevich Paul and president of the College of Foreign Affairs, in order to distract E. from the Greek project , presented her with a project of armed neutrality in 1780. Armed neutrality was intended to provide protection to the trade of neutral states during the war and was directed against England, which was unfavorable for Potemkin’s plans. Pursuing his broad and useless plan for Russia, Potemkin prepared an extremely useful and necessary thing for Russia - the annexation of Crimea. In Crimea, since the recognition of its independence, two parties were worried - Russian and Turkish. Their struggle gave rise to the occupation of Crimea and the Kuban region. The Manifesto of 1783 announced the annexation of Crimea and the Kuban region to Russia. The last Khan Shagin-Girey was sent to Voronezh; Crimea was renamed the Tauride province; Crimean raids stopped. It is believed that as a result of the raids of the Crimeans, Great and Little Russia and part of Poland, from the 15th century. until 1788, it lost from 3 to 4 million of its population: captives were turned into slaves, captives filled harems or became, like slaves, in the ranks of female servants. In Constantinople, the Mamelukes had Russian nurses and nannies. In the XVI, XVII and even in the XVIII centuries. Venice and France used shackled Russian slaves purchased in the markets of the Levant as galley laborers. The pious Louis XIV tried only to ensure that these slaves did not remain schismatics. The annexation of Crimea put an end to the shameful trade in Russian slaves (see V. Lamansky in the Historical Bulletin for 1880: “The Power of the Turks in Europe”). Following this, Irakli II, the king of Georgia, recognized the protectorate of Russia. The year 1785 was marked by two important legislative acts: Certificate of merit nobility (see Nobility) and city status (see City). The charter on public schools on August 15, 1786 was implemented only on a small scale. Projects to found universities in Pskov, Chernigov, Penza and Yekaterinoslav were postponed. In 1783, the Russian Academy was founded to study native language. The founding of the institutions marked the beginning of women's education. Orphanages were established, smallpox vaccination was introduced, and the Pallas expedition was equipped to study the remote outskirts.
Potemkin's enemies interpreted, not understanding the importance of acquiring Crimea, that Crimea and Novorossiya were not worth the money spent on their establishment. Then E. decided to explore the newly acquired region herself. Accompanied by the Austrian, English and French ambassadors, with a huge retinue, in 1787 she set off on a journey. The Archbishop of Mogilev, Georgy Konissky, met her in Mstislavl with a speech that was famous by her contemporaries as an example of eloquence. The whole character of the speech is determined by its beginning: “Let us leave it to the astronomers to prove that the Earth revolves around the Sun: our sun moves around us.” In Kanev met E. Stanislav Poniatovsky, King of Poland; near Keidan - Emperor Joseph II. He and E. laid the first stone of the city of Yekaterinoslav, visited Kherson and inspected the Black Sea fleet that Potemkin had just created. During the journey, Joseph noticed the theatricality in the situation, saw how people were hastily herded into villages that were supposedly under construction; but in Kherson he saw the real deal - and gave justice to Potemkin.
The Second Turkish War under E. II was waged, in alliance with Joseph II, from 1787 to 1791. In 1791, on December 29, peace was concluded in Iasi. For all the victories, Russia received only Ochakov and the steppe between the Bug and the Dnieper (see Turkish wars of Russia and the Peace of Jassy). At the same time, there was, with varying success, a war with Sweden, declared by Gustav III in 1789 (see Sweden). It ended on August 3, 1790 with the Peace of Verel, based on the status quo. During the 2nd Turkish War, a coup took place in Poland: on May 3, 1791, it was promulgated new constitution, which led to the second partition of Poland, in 1793, and then to the third, in 1795 (see Poland). Under the second section, Russia received the rest of the Minsk province, Volyn and Podolia, and under the 3rd - the Grodno Voivodeship and Courland. In 1796, in the last year of E.'s reign, Count Valerian Zubov, appointed commander-in-chief in the campaign against Persia, conquered Derbent and Baku; his successes were stopped by the death of E.
The last years of the reign of E. II were darkened, from 1790, by a reactionary direction. Then the French Revolution broke out, and the pan-European, Jesuit-oligarchic reaction entered into an alliance with our reaction at home. Her agent and instrument was E.'s last favorite, Prince Platon Zubov, together with his brother, Count Valerian. European reaction wanted to drag Russia into the struggle with revolutionary France - a struggle alien to the direct interests of Russia. E. spoke kind words to the representatives of the reaction and did not give up a single soldier. Then the undermining of E.’s throne intensified, and accusations were renewed that she was illegally occupying the throne belonging to Pavel Petrovich. There is reason to believe that in 1790 an attempt was being made to elevate Pavel Petrovich to the throne. This attempt was probably connected with the expulsion of Prince Frederick of Württemberg from St. Petersburg. The reaction at home then accused E. of allegedly being excessively free-thinking. The basis for the accusation was, among other things, permission to translate Voltaire and participation in the translation of Belisarius, Marmontel's story, which was found anti-religious, because it did not indicate the difference between Christian and pagan virtue. Catherine grew old, there was almost no trace of her former courage and energy - and so, under such circumstances, in 1790 Radishchev’s book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” appeared, with a project for the liberation of the peasants, as if written out from the published articles of her Order. The unfortunate Radishchev was punished by exile to Siberia. Perhaps this cruelty was the result of the fear that the exclusion of articles on the emancipation of peasants from the Mandate would be considered hypocrisy on the part of E. In 1792, Novikov, who had served so much in the Russian education, was imprisoned in Shlisselburg. The secret motive for this measure was Novikov’s relationship with Pavel Petrovich. In 1793, Knyazhnin suffered cruelly for his tragedy "Vadim". In 1795, even Derzhavin was suspected of being in a revolutionary direction, for his transcription of Psalm 81, entitled “To Rulers and Judges.” Thus ended the educational reign of E. the Second, this great man (Catherine le grand), which had raised the national spirit. Despite the reaction recent years, the name of enlightenment will remain with him in history. From this reign in Russia they began to realize the importance of humane ideas, they began to talk about the right of man to think for the benefit of his own kind [We almost did not touch on the weaknesses of E. Second, recalling the words of Renan: “serious history should not attach too much importance to the morals of sovereigns if these morals didn't have much influence on general progress affairs." Under E., Zubov's influence was harmful, but only because he was an instrument of a harmful party.].
Literature. The works of Kolotov, Sumarokov, Lefort are panegyrics. Of the new ones, Brickner's work is more satisfactory. Bilbasov's very important work is not finished; Only one volume was published in Russian, two in German. S. M. Solovyov, in the XXIX volume of his history of Russia, focused on peace in Kuchuk-Kainardzhi. The foreign works of Rulière and Custer cannot be ignored only because of undeserved attention to them. Of the countless memoirs, Khrapovitsky's memoirs are especially important (the best edition is by N.P. Barsukova). See Waliszewski's newest work: "Le Roman d"une impératrice". Works by individual issues are indicated in the relevant articles. The publications of the Imperial Historical Society are extremely important.
E. Belov.
Gifted with literary talent, receptive and sensitive to the phenomena of life around her, E. took an active part in the literature of her time. The literary movement she excited was dedicated to the development of educational ideas of the 18th century. Thoughts on education, briefly outlined in one of the chapters of “Instruction,” were subsequently developed in detail by E. in allegorical tales: “About Tsarevich Chlor” (1781) and “About Tsarevich Fevey” (1782), and mainly in “Instructions to Prince N.” Saltykov", given upon his appointment as tutor to the Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich (1784). E. mainly borrowed the pedagogical ideas expressed in these works from Montaigne and Locke: from the first she took a general view of the goals of education, and she used the second when developing particulars. Guided by Montaigne, E. put the moral element in first place in education - the rooting in the soul of humanity, justice, respect for laws, and condescension towards people. At the same time, she demanded that the mental and physical aspects of education be properly developed. Personally raising her grandchildren until the age of seven, she compiled an entire educational library for them. E. and “Notes on Russian History” were written for the Grand Dukes. In purely fictional works, which include magazine articles and dramatic works, E. is much more original than in works of a pedagogical and legislative nature. Pointing out actual contradictions to the ideals that existed in society, her comedies and satirical articles were supposed to significantly contribute to the development of public consciousness, making the importance and expediency of the reforms she was undertaking more clear.
The beginning of E.'s public literary activity dates back to 1769, when she became an active collaborator and inspirer of the satirical magazine "Everything and Everything." The patronizing tone adopted by "Everything and Everything" in relation to other magazines, and the instability of its direction, soon armed almost all the magazines of that time against it; her main opponent was the brave and direct “Drone” of N. I. Novikov. The latter's harsh attacks on judges, governors and prosecutors greatly displeased "Everything"; It is impossible to say positively who conducted the polemics against “Drone” in this magazine, but it is reliably known that one of the articles directed against Novikov belonged to the empress herself. In the period from 1769 to 1783, when E. again acted as a journalist, she wrote five comedies, and between them her best plays: “About Time” and “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day.” The purely literary merits of E.'s comedies are not high: they have little action, the intrigue is too simple, and the denouement is monotonous. They are written in the spirit and model of French modern comedies, in which servants are more developed and intelligent than their masters. But at the same time, in E.’s comedies purely Russian social vices are ridiculed and Russian types appear. Hypocrisy, superstition, bad education, the pursuit of fashion, blind imitation of the French - these are the themes that E. developed in her comedies. These themes had already been outlined earlier in our satirical magazines of 1769 and, by the way, “Everything and Everything”; but what was presented in magazines in the form of separate pictures, characteristics, sketches, in E.’s comedies received a more complete and vivid image. The types of the stingy and heartless prude Khanzhakhina, the superstitious gossip Vestnikova in the comedy "About Time", the petimeter Firlyufyushkov and the projector Nekopeikov in the comedy "Mrs. Vorchalkina's Name Day" are among the most successful in Russian comic literature of the last century. Variations of these types are repeated in other comedies by E.
By 1783, E. took an active part in the “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” published at the Academy of Sciences, edited by Princess E. R. Dashkova. Here E. placed a number of satirical articles entitled “Facts and Fables.” The initial purpose of these articles was, apparently, a satirical depiction of the weaknesses and funny aspects of the society contemporary to the empress, and the originals for such portraits were often taken by the empress from among those close to her. Soon, however, “Were and Fables” began to serve as a reflection of the magazine life of “Interlocutor”. E. was the unofficial editor of this magazine; as can be seen from her correspondence with Dashkova, she read many of the articles sent for publication in the magazine while still in manuscript; some of these articles touched her to the quick: she entered into polemics with their authors, often making fun of them. For the reading public, E.’s participation in the magazine was no secret; Articles of letters were often sent to the address of the author of Fables and Fables, in which rather transparent hints were made. The Empress tried as much as possible to maintain composure and not give away her incognito identity; only once, enraged by Fonvizin’s “impudent and reprehensible” questions, she so clearly expressed her irritation in “Facts and Fables” that Fonvizin considered it necessary to rush with a letter of repentance. In addition to “Facts and Fables,” the empress placed in “Interlocutor” several small polemical and satirical articles, mostly ridiculing the pompous writings of random collaborators of “Interlocutor” - Lyuboslov and Count S.P. Rumyantsev. One of these articles (“The Society of the Unknowing, a daily note”), in which Princess Dashkova saw a parody of the meetings of the then newly founded, in her opinion, Russian Academy, served as the reason for the termination of E.’s participation in the magazine. In subsequent years (1785-1790) E. wrote 13 plays, not counting dramatic proverbs in French, intended for the Hermitage theater.
The Masons have long attracted the attention of E. If you believe her words, she took the trouble to familiarize herself in detail with the enormous Masonic literature, but did not find anything in Freemasonry except “stupidity.” Stay in St. Petersburg. (in 1780) Cagliostro, whom she described as a scoundrel worthy of the gallows, armed her even more against the Freemasons. Receiving alarming news about the increasingly increasing influence of Moscow Masonic circles, seeing among her entourage many followers and defenders of the Masonic teaching, the Empress decided to fight this “folly” with literary weapons, and within two years (1785-86) she wrote one the other, three comedies ("The Deceiver", "The Seduced" and "The Siberian Shaman"), in which Freemasonry was ridiculed. Only in the comedy "The Seduced" are there, however, life traits reminiscent of the Moscow Freemasons. "The Deceiver" is directed against Cagliostro. In “The Siberian Shaman” E., obviously unfamiliar with the essence of Masonic teaching, did not think to bring it on the same level with shamanic tricks. There is no doubt that E.'s satire did not have much effect: Freemasonry continued to develop, and in order to deal a decisive blow to it, the empress no longer resorted to meek methods of correction, as she called her satire, but to drastic and decisive administrative measures.
In all likelihood, E.’s acquaintance with Shakespeare, in French or German translations, also dates back to this time. She remade The Witches of Windsor for the Russian stage, but this rework turned out to be extremely weak and bears very little resemblance to the original Shakespeare. In imitation of his historical chronicles, she composed two plays from the life of the ancient Russian princes - Rurik and Oleg. The main significance of these “Historical Representations,” which are extremely weak in literary terms, lies in the political and moral ideas that E. puts into the mouths of the characters. Of course, these are not the ideas of Rurik or Oleg, but the thoughts of E. herself. In the comic operas, E. did not pursue any serious goal: these were situational plays in which the main role was played by the musical and choreographic side. The empress took the plot for these operas, for the most part, from folk tales and epics, known to her from manuscript collections. Only “The Woe-Bogatyr Kosometovich,” despite its fairy-tale character, contains an element of modernity: this opera showed the Swedish king Gustav III, who at that time opened hostile actions against Russia, in a comic light, and was removed from the repertoire immediately after the conclusion of peace with Sweden. E.'s French plays, the so-called “proverbs,” are small one-act plays, the plots of which were, for the most part, episodes from modern life. They do not have any particular significance, repeating themes and types already introduced in other comedies by E. E. herself did not attach importance to her literary activity. “I look at my writings,” she wrote to Grimm, “as trifles. I love to do experiments in all kinds, but it seems to me that everything I wrote is rather mediocre, which is why, apart from entertainment, I did not attach any importance to it.”
E.'s works were published by A. Smirdin (St. Petersburg, 1849-50). Exclusively literary works of E. were published twice in 1893, under the editorship of V. F. Solntsev and A. I. Vvedensky. Selected articles and monographs: P. Pekarsky, “Materials for the history of the journal and literary activities of E. II” (St. Petersburg, 1863); Dobrolyubov, st. about the “Interlocutor of lovers of the Russian word” (X, 825); "Works of Derzhavin", ed. J. Grota (St. Petersburg, 1873, vol. VIII, pp. 310-339); M. Longinov, “Dramatic works of E. II” (M., 1857); G. Gennadi, “More on the dramatic works of E. II” (in “Bible Zap.”, 1858, No. 16); P. K. Shchebalsky, “E. II as a writer” (“Zarya”, 1869-70); his, “Dramatic and morally descriptive works of Empress E. II” (in “Russian Bulletin”, 1871, vol. XVIII, nos. 5 and 6); N. S. Tikhonravov, “Literary trifles of 1786.” (in the scientific and literary collection, published by "Russkie Vedomosti" - "Help to the Starving", M., 1892); E. S. Shumigorsky, “Essays from Russian history. I. Empress-publicist” (St. Petersburg, 1887); P. Bessonova, “On the influence of folk art on the dramas of Empress E. and on the whole Russian songs inserted here” (in the magazine “Zarya”, 1870); V. S. Lebedev, “Shakespeare in the adaptations of E. II” (in the Russian Bulletin) (1878, No. 3); N. Lavrovsky, “On pedagogical significance works of E. the Great" (Kharkov, 1856); A. Brickner, "Comic opera E. II "Woe-Bogatyr" ("J. M. N. Pr.", 1870, No. 12); A. Galakhov, “There were also Fables, essay by E. II” (“Domestic Notes” 1856, No. 10).
V. Solntsev.
(Brockhaus)
Catherine II
Russian Empress (1727-1796; reigned in 1762 after the violent death of her husband, Peter III). Already in the first days after accession to the throne, E. was faced with the question of the Jews. Arriving for the first time in the Senate, she - as she herself says in her notes, compiled from a third party - found herself in a difficult situation when the first question raised was the admission of Jews to Russia, expelled during the previous reign, and it was unanimously resolved in a favorable sense. “Not even a week had passed since Catherine II,” the notes say, “acceded to the throne; she was elevated to it to protect Orthodox faith...; minds were greatly excited, as always happens after such important event ; starting a reign with such a project could not be a means of calm; it was impossible to recognize the project as harmful." Elizabeth's resolution, hostile to the Jews, was presented to the Empress in the Senate, and E. stated that she wanted the matter to be postponed until another time. "And this is how often it is not enough to be enlightened, to have the best intentions and the power to bring their execution." E. was guided by the same considerations when, in the manifesto of December 4, 1762, on allowing foreigners to settle in Russia, she stipulated “except for the Jews.” In reality, E.’s attitude towards the Jews was different. Replying in 1773 Mr. Diderot, in response to his question about Jews in Russia, Catherine explained that the question of admitting Jews to the country was raised inappropriately, and added that in 1764 Jews were recognized as merchants and residents of Novorossiya and that three or four Jews had been staying for several years in St. Petersburg - “they are tolerated contrary to the law; pretend that they don’t know that they are in the capital" (they lived in the apartment of the empress’s confessor). The recognition of Jews as residents of Novorossiya was in connection with the Senate’s proposal to allow Jews into Russia. Not daring to openly declare their agreement with the opinion of the Senate, E. resorted to hidden actions.On April 29, 1764, she sent a secret letter to Governor General Brown in Riga, which boiled down to the following: if the office of guardianship (the prototype of the Ministry of Agriculture) recommends some merchants of the Novorossiysk province, then they should be allowed to live in Riga and conduct trade; if they wish to send clerks or workers to Novorossiya, everyone, without distinction of religion, should be given passports and an escort; and if three or four who wish to go to St. Petersburg arrive from Mitava, then they should be provided with passports without indicating their nationality, without asking them about their religion; for identification They will present the individual with a letter from the merchant Levin Wulf, who is located in St. Petersburg. On this letter E. wrote in her own hand: “If you do not understand me, then I will not be to blame: this letter was written by the president of the guardianship office himself; keep everything secret." Novorossiysk merchants meant Jews. Major Rtishchev brought 7 Jews from Mitava to St. Petersburg; two of them, David Levi Bamberger (q.v.) and Moses Aaron, as well as Veniamin Ber, who did not go to St. Petersburg, received the authority in Riga, under the leadership of Levin Wulf, to resettle Jews to Novorossiya.This episode indicates that E., aware of the commercial and industrial importance of the Jews, considered them an element useful for the state. Having allowed Greeks, Armenians and others sent from the army to settle in Russia in 1769, Ekaterina allowed the same Jews to move to live in Novorossiya. E. fully revealed her favorable attitude towards Jews when, with the first partition of Poland, she accepted Belarus with its numerous Jewish population. In the poster on August 11, 1772, about the annexation of the region, there were lines specifically dedicated to the Jews: “...Through the above solemn hope (the rights of new subjects) to each and every one of the free practice of faith and inviolable property integrity, it goes without saying that Jewish societies living in areas annexed to the Empire Russian cities and lands, will be left and preserved with all those freedoms that they now enjoy in judging the law and their property: for Her philanthropy Imp. The Majesty does not allow them alone to be excluded from the common favor and future well-being under Her blessed Power, as long as they, for their part, with due obedience as loyal subjects, live in real trades and trades, according to their ranks." [Book. Golitsyn in his History of Russian. law." stated that with the words "by their ranks" E. wanted to say "as incomplete citizens." This fabrication is refuted by the fact that the same manifesto on the annexation of Podolia and Volyn clearly defined the meaning the specified words: "engaged, as before, in trade and crafts." And the local authorities understood these words properly - as long as the Jews continue “in their trades and trades according to their custom.”]. With this manifesto, Jews were not given equal rights with other new subjects; Jews retained only the rights to practice their faith and use property; in relation to other inhabitants, in addition, it was stipulated that each state would enjoy the rights of “ancient” subjects throughout the entire empire. It is possible that in this case, Catherine II was guided by caution; in any case, soon the rights of Jews were so expanded that, constituting a separate group in Poland, removed from general civil and political life, Jews became in Russia citizens. In 1772, at the suggestion of the Belarusian Governor-General, Count. Chernyshev, the kahal organization, which had long existed in Poland, was introduced, and Jews were subject to a special tax. But after Jews received the right to enroll as merchants in 1780, E. personally explained to the Prosecutor General that with regard to the payment of interest on capital by merchants, “the confession of traders should not serve as a reason for any difference”; and on May 3, 1783, an order was issued that Jews should be taxed according to the state in which they were registered (merchants or philistines). Along with taxes, Jews were given equal rights with other merchants and philistines in the area of estate-city self-government, which at that time covered very widely the life of the urban commercial and industrial class, and therefore the functions of the kahal began to be limited - "Jewish kahals, in district towns and those who are in the province should not concern themselves with any other matters except the rites of the law and their worship" (1795). When Christian society began to interfere with the election of Jews to positions of city government, E., in a special letter addressed to Governor-General Passek (May 13, 1783), demanded the restoration of their rights (see City Government). Equality of Jews before the law - E. tried to implement this principle on all issues Jewish life. In 1785, Belarusian Jewry, represented by a deputation that arrived in St. Petersburg, appealed to the empress with a complaint about the violation of their rights by the local administration. E. sent a complaint to the Senate, and instructed her secretary, Gr. Bezborodko to convey to the Prosecutor General that “when the people designated by Jewish law have already entered, on the basis of Her Majesty’s decrees, into a state equal to others, then in any case it is necessary to observe the rule established by Her Majesty that everyone by rank and status should enjoy the benefits and rights without distinction between law and people." In accordance with this, a decree of the Senate was passed on May 7, 1786 (incorrectly called by some researchers the “Regulations of 1786”), which defined some of the rights of Jews. By the way, the decree abolished the eviction of Jews from the districts to the cities, which was supported by the empress, who sought to create commercial and industrial centers, for which purpose Jews were a desirable element. The rights granted to Belarusian Jews were extended to Jews. population of the provinces annexed by the second and third partitions of Poland. - E.’s policy on the Jewish issue took a new direction in 1791, when, based on complaints from the Moscow and Smolensk merchants, E. recognized that Jews do not have the right to enroll as merchants in the internal provinces, since this right belongs to them only within Belarus; at the same time, the empress extended the right of “citizenship” to the Ekaterinoslav governorship and the Tauride province. This law established the so-called “Pale of Settlement,” although the name itself did not yet exist. Three years later, for unknown reasons, the Jews were subjected (by the High Decree of June 23, 1794) to a double tax, compared with the rest of the population (there is an assumption that E. wanted to encourage the Jews in this way to settle Novorossiya). An exception was made for the Karaites so that Jews, known as “rabbis”, would not enter their society; At the same time, the Tauride Governor-General was given the right to provide other relief to the Karaites. Somewhat later, E. approved the restriction of Jews in estate-city self-government introduced in the Minsk province. - It should be noted that with the transition of Jews to Russian citizenship, the word “Jew” disappears in the acts emanating from the empress. - Archival materials, relating to the life of Jews in the era of E., have not yet been developed at all, and this circumstance, in connection with the contradictions that E. discovered as an empress and as a thinker, does not make it possible to fully clarify her personal attitude towards the Jews. - Compare: Golitsyn, “History of Russian law on Jews”; Gradovsky, “Trade and other rights of Jews” (the text of the manifesto on the annexation of Belarus is given); Orshansky, " Russian law. about the Jews"; Gessen, "Jews in Russia"; Buchholtz, Geschichte der Juden in Riga; "On the history of Western Russian Jews.", "Jewish Library", IV.
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Catherine II
As a writer, she is a representative of that noble didactics that was especially characteristic of the Russian 18th century. She understood her writing as a tool for popularizing the ideas of enlightened absolutism, which she defended in the first, “liberal” period of her reign. Most of her works are satires. Expressing the aspirations of the large aristocratic nobility, E. directs the edge of his satire, on the one hand, against the middle and small nobility, ridiculing lack of culture and blind imitation of the French, and, on the other hand, against attempts independent analysis social issues by the emerging bourgeois intelligentsia. Knowledge of the life of the urban and provincial nobility was passed on to E. by the writers around her, in collaboration with whom she wrote her works. In general, E.’s authorship is not entirely covered by her name. Initially, she acted as a journalist, founding in 1769 the magazine “Everything and Everything”, where she wrote several notes (“Letter from Patriarch Pravdomyslov”, etc.). Since 1772, E. has been writing a number of comedies, among which it should be noted: “Oh, time,” “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s name day,” “Mrs. V. Estnikova with her family,” “One thinks this way, but does it differently.” In 1783, E. took a close part in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” published by Prince. Dashkova “dependent on the Imperial Academy of Sciences,” in which E. was essentially an unofficial editor. Her articles are published here under the general title “There were stories and tales” - satirical notes on various topics, mainly about the morals of that time, partly directed against the courtiers around her (I. Shuvalov, Choglokov). She also wrote comic operas ("The Woe the Hero", "The Novgorod Hero"), fairy tales of a utopian nature ("Chlorus", "Fevey"), in which she expressed her views on the tasks of education, "historical ideas" (about Rurik, Oleg, Igor). It should also be noted that E.’s struggle with Freemasonry [comedies - “The Deceiver”, “Seduced”, “Shamai the Siberian”, also parodies of Masonic lodge- “The secret of the anti-absurd society (Anti-absurde), revealed to the uninvolved in it.”]. Poorly understanding the essence of the teaching and counting both the shaman and Cagliostro among its followers, E. feels his connection with the “left” movements, with which she later, frightened French revolution, will begin to fight with more effective means (Radishchev’s exile to Siberia, Novikov’s imprisonment in Shlisselburg).
Her works of a historical and journalistic nature and translations should be distinguished from purely literary works by E. ("Order", "Notes on Russian History", "Velizar", "Mémoires", etc.). Without presenting great literary value, E.'s comedies are interesting ch. arr. the journalistic content contained in them and a light satirical depiction of the then noble morals. Building on the usual type of comedies of the 18th century, with their simple love affair, exaggeratedly comic characters and clever servants ("confidantes"), uttering moralizing maxims, they ridicule hypocrisy, gossip, superstition, stinginess, panache, imitation of the French, etc. The most successful types are: prudes - Khanzhakhina, gossips - Vestnikova, projectors - Nekopeikin, petimeter - Firlyufyushkov, etc. Despite the participation of Russian writers in the work on E.'s comedies, the language of the latter is not always correct; however, it is close to colloquial. She herself stubbornly defended the simplification of speech (“Testament” in “Interlocutor”: “Prefer short and clear expressions to long and round ones... whoever writes, must think in Russian, do not borrow words from foreign languages, do not use eloquence anywhere. .." etc.). E.'s authorship was hidden from the public for a long time.
Bibliography: I. Sochin. E. based on authentic manuscripts and with explanatory notes by A. N. Pypin (after his death, edited by A. Barskov) published by the Academy of Sciences in 1901-1908, in 12 volumes. This edition includes many previously unpublished works by E., autobiographical notes, and detailed notes on individual plays and translations into foreign languages.
P. Pypin A., History of Russian literature, vol. IV, ed. 4th, St. Petersburg, 1913 (Chapters I - II, here is the bibliography, 1st ed., St. Petersburg, 1889).
III. Neustroev A., Historical research on Russian periodical publications and collections for 1703-1802, St. Petersburg, 1874; his, “Index” to the named work, St. Petersburg, 1898; Golitsyn N., book, Bibliographical Dictionary of Russian Women Writers, St. Petersburg, 1889; Mezier A., Russian literature from the 11th to the 19th centuries. inclusive, part 2, St. Petersburg, 1902; Vengerov S., Sources of the dictionary of Russian writers, vol. II, St. Petersburg, 1910.
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Large biographical encyclopedia. - GREAT (1729 1796), Russian empress, born Sophia Frederica Augusta Anhalt of Zerbst. Born April 21 (May 2), 1729 in Stettin (Prussian Pomerania). Daughter of the ruler of the small Anhalt Zerbst principality Christian Augustus and... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
We bring to your attention the section of the article about Catherine the Great from the site www.rusempire.ru, which tells about this little-known talent of the Russian Empress.
Gifted with literary talent, receptive and sensitive to the phenomena of life around her, Catherine took an active part in the literature of her time. The literary movement she excited was dedicated to the development of educational ideas of the 18th century. Thoughts on education, briefly outlined in one of the chapters of “Instruction,” were subsequently developed in detail by Catherine in allegorical tales: “About Tsarevich Chlor” (1781) and “About Tsarevich Fevey” (1782) and, mainly, in “Instructions to Prince N.” Saltykov", given upon his appointment as tutor to the Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich (1784).
Catherine mainly borrowed the pedagogical ideas expressed in these works from Montaigne and Locke: from the first she took a general view of the goals of education, and she used the second when developing particulars. Guided by Montaigne, Catherine puts the moral element in first place in education - the rooting in the soul of humanity, justice, respect for laws, and condescension towards people. At the same time, it requires that the mental and physical aspects of education receive proper development.
Personally raising her grandchildren until the age of seven, she compiled an entire educational library for them. Catherine also wrote “Notes on Russian History” for the Grand Dukes.
In purely fictional works, which include a magazine article and dramatic works, Catherine is much more original than in works of a pedagogical and legislative nature. Pointing out the actual contradictions to the ideals that existed in society, her comedies and satirical articles were supposed to significantly contribute to the development of public consciousness, making the importance and expediency of the reforms undertaken by her clearer. The beginning of Catherine's public literary activity dates back to 1769, when she became an active contributor and inspirer of the satirical magazine "Everything and Everything".
The patronizing tone adopted by "Everything and Everything" in relation to other magazines, and the instability of its direction, soon armed almost all the magazines of that time against it; her main opponent was the brave and direct “Drone” N.I. Novikova. The latter's harsh attacks on judges, governors and prosecutors greatly displeased "Everything"; Who conducted the polemics against “Drone” in this magazine cannot be said positively, but it is reliably known that one of the articles directed against Novikov belonged to the empress herself.
Between 1769 and 1783, when Catherine again acted as a journalist, she wrote five comedies, and between them her best plays: “About Time” and “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day.”
The purely literary merits of Catherine's comedies are low: they have little action, the intrigue is too simple, and the denouement is monotonous. They were written in the spirit and model of contemporary French comedies, in which servants are more developed and intelligent than their masters. But, at the same time, in Catherine’s comedies purely Russian social vices are ridiculed and Russian types appear. Hypocrisy, superstition, bad education, the pursuit of fashion, blind imitation of the French - these are the themes that Catherine developed in her comedies. These themes had already been outlined earlier in our satirical magazines of 1769 and, by the way, “Everything and Everything”; but what was presented in magazines in the form of separate pictures, characteristics, sketches, in Catherine’s comedies received a more complete and vivid image.
The types of the stingy and heartless prude Khanzhakhina, the superstitious gossip Vestnikova in the comedy "About Time", the petimeter Firlyufyushkov and the projector Nekopeikov in the comedy "Mrs. Vorchalkina's Name Day" are among the most successful in Russian comic literature of the 18th century. Variations of these types are repeated in other comedies of Catherine. By 1783, Catherine’s active participation in the “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word”, published at the Academy of Sciences, edited by Princess E.R. Dashkova. Here Catherine placed a number of satirical articles entitled “Fables and Fables.”
Initially, the purpose of these articles was, apparently, a satirical depiction of the weaknesses and funny aspects of the society contemporary to the empress, and the originals for such portraits were often taken by the empress from among those close to her. Soon, however, “Were and Fables” began to serve as a reflection of the magazine life of “Interlocutor”. Catherine was the unofficial editor of this magazine; as can be seen from her correspondence with Dashkova, she read many of the articles sent for publication in the magazine while still in manuscript. Some of these articles touched her to the quick: she entered into polemics with their authors, often making fun of them.
For the reading public, Catherine’s participation in the magazine was no secret; Articles and letters were often sent to the address of the author of Fables and Fables, in which rather transparent hints were made. Catherine tried as much as possible to maintain composure and not give away her incognito identity; only once, angered by Fonvizin’s “impudent and reprehensible” questions, she so clearly expressed her irritation in “Facts and Fables” that Fonvizin considered it necessary to rush with a letter of repentance.
In addition to “Facts and Fables,” Catherine published in “Interlocutor” several small polemical and satirical articles, mostly ridiculing the pompous writings of random employees of “Interlocutor” - Lyuboslov and Count S.P. Rumyantseva. One of these articles (“The Society of the Unknowing, a daily note”), in which Princess Dashkova saw a parody of the meetings of the newly founded, in her opinion, Russian Academy, served as the reason for the termination of Catherine’s participation in the magazine.
In subsequent years (1785-1790), Catherine wrote 13 plays, not counting dramatic proverbs in French, intended for the Hermitage theater.
The Masons have long attracted Catherine's attention. According to her, she familiarized herself in detail with the enormous Masonic literature and found nothing in Freemasonry except “crazy stuff.” The stay in St. Petersburg (in 1780) of Cagliostro, whom she called a scoundrel worthy of the gallows, further armed her against the Freemasons. Receiving alarming news about the increasingly increasing influence of Moscow Masonic circles, seeing among her entourage many followers and defenders of the Masonic teaching, Catherine decided to fight this “stupidity” with literary weapons and within two years (1785-86) wrote three comedies (“ Deceiver", "Seduced" and "Shaman of Siberia"), in which she ridiculed Freemasonry. Only in the comedy “The Seduced” are there life traits reminiscent of Moscow Freemasons. "The Deceiver" is directed against Cagliostro. In “The Siberian Shaman”, Catherine, obviously unfamiliar with the essence of Masonic teaching, did not think to bring it on the same level with shamanic tricks.
Catherine’s satire did not have much effect: Freemasonry continued to develop, and in order to deal a decisive blow to it, the Empress no longer resorted to meek methods of correction, as she called her satire, but to drastic and decisive administrative measures.
In all likelihood, Catherine’s acquaintance with Shakespeare, in French or German translation, also dates back to this time. She remade The Witches of Windsor for the Russian stage, but this rework turned out to be extremely weak and bears very little resemblance to the original Shakespeare. In imitation of his historical chronicles, she composed two plays from the lives of Rurik and Oleg. The main significance of these “Historical Representations,” which are extremely weak in literary terms, lies in the political and moral ideas that Catherine puts into the mouths of the characters. Of course, these are the thoughts of Catherine herself.
In comic operas, Catherine did not pursue any serious goal: these were situational plays in which the main role was played by the musical and choreographic side. The plots for the operas are taken, for the most part, from folk tales and epics, known to her from manuscript collections. Only “The Woe-Bogatyr Kosometovich,” despite its fairy-tale character, contains an element of modernity: this opera showed the Swedish king Gustav III, who at that time opened hostile actions against Russia, in a comic light, and was removed from the repertoire immediately after the conclusion of peace with Sweden. Catherine's French plays, the so-called “proverbs,” are small one-act plays, the plots of which were, for the most part, episodes from modern life. They do not have much significance, repeating themes and types already developed in other comedies of Catherine.
Catherine herself did not attach importance to her literary activity. “I look at my writings,” she wrote to Grimm, “as trifles. I love to do experiments in all kinds, but it seems to me that everything I wrote is rather mediocre, which is why, apart from entertainment, I did not attach any importance to it.”
Catherine's literary works were published twice in 1893, edited by V.F. Solntsev and A.I. Vvedensky. The complete works of Catherine in 12 volumes were published by the Academy of Sciences in 1901-1908, first edited by A.N. Pypin, and after his death - Y. Barskova. This edition includes many previously unpublished works of Catherine and her autobiographical notes.
It is clear why V. Petrov became central figure government literature camp 1760-1780. Catherine II herself wanted to become another leading figure in this camp. She wrote extremely a lot, she wrote without being hampered by the fact that she had studied the Russian language very unsteadily (her style was edited by her secretaries, in particular, for example, I.P. Elagin). She wrote laws, letters, very long laws and a lot of letters, wrote journalistic, historical works, comedies, dramas, essays, fairy tales. She didn’t know how to write poetry at all, but she had a real passion for prose. The most interesting part of what Catherine wrote is her memoirs and memoir passages in French; these memoirs were not intended for publication, at least not during her lifetime, nor shortly after her death; therefore, in them she is more natural, simple and truthful (their presentation does not reach her accession to the throne).
There is no need to dwell on Catherine’s extensive work, entitled “Notes on Russian History.” This is a helpless summary of extracts from the chronicles, which has no significance, neither scientific nor literary. More interesting are Catherine’s comedies and some of her journalistic speeches. And these works of hers are artistically of little value; Catherine was not distinguished by her talent as a writer; some literary skill gave her the opportunity to write things that did not fall below the level of third-rate production of her time, but did not rise above it either. Her comedies are no worse than any of D. Volkov’s plays “Education” (1774), which also contains openly official propaganda of government points of view. Of Catherine’s other dramatic experiences (there were many), her very first comedy, “Oh, Time!”, stands out. artistic merit which is explained by the fact that it is a free translation of Gellert’s play “Die Betschwester” (“The Mantis”).
However, the essence of Catherine's comedies, like her journalism and magazine work, was not in art, but in politics, especially in the first period of her literary activity, until the 1780s. In “Antidote,” Catherine argues with a French traveler who condemned Russian life, not because she wants to defend the Russian people, but because she wants to justify her autocracy, defend herself and her policy; For this, she lies and is a hypocrite completely immoderately. The defense and propaganda of the feudal autocracy and all possible condemnation of all those dissatisfied with Catherine's regime form the basis of the first and most significant group of her comedies. These include the comedies: “Oh, Time!”, “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day,” “The Front Hall of a Noble Boyar,” “Mrs. Vestnikova with her Family” (all four plays are from 1772). First of all, these plays depict and ridicule “universal human” vices, “non-social” shortcomings of people: hypocrisy, love of gossip, cowardice, rudeness, even stupidity, etc. With this side of her comedies, Catherine wanted to show the way to contemporary satire away from acute social problems, to give it examples of a completely peaceful and moralizing mood, in reproach to the “evil” satirist playwrights from Sumarokov to Fonvizin. Then - and in this Catherine freed herself from the morally abstract recipe of satire - she gives a number of characters and individual allusions to modernity in highlighting the government-political point of view. In the comedy “Oh, Time!” Moscow gossiping old women, ignorant and angry, dissatisfied with the government, prophesying troubles, dissatisfied with everything in the world, spreading rumors about ridiculous orders of the authorities. It is no coincidence that Moscow is depicted here, the center of the noble opposition, where in the salons of independent nobles the actions of Catherine herself were discussed and condemned. Catherine presented the noble liberals as old grumbling women, and the honor of the government is upheld by smart, honest, ideal nobles. In “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day” there is the same picture; the old quarrelsome Vorchalkina herself loves to scold and blaspheme everything, and people of the same kind gather in her house, moreover, people, in Catherine’s opinion, are loitering. The squandered merchant Nekopeikov is also characteristic, bombarding the government with ridiculous projects for enriching the state, projects regarding transport, the fleet, catching rats, etc. By the way, he states that he has figured out “how to fix the judicial, etc. places and judges." Characteristic are both the rude nobleman Herkulov and Spesov, proud of his aristocracy, spreading stupid gossip about the government's plans. This company condemns the actions of the police, the opening of an orphanage, and taxes. By portraying all these people who “want to remake the whole world” in the most unattractive form, Catherine not only mocked those dissatisfied with her rule, but seemed to be asserting that only fools, talkers and scoundrels were dissatisfied with her, that in fact her police It’s lovely that there is no need to “correct” the courts and judges, that everything is going well in the state. To the project director Nekopeikov, through the lips of the intelligent servant Praskovya, Ekaterina says: “Our condition would be poor and we would be unhappy people if the general bliss depended only on your brainless head, a head that couldn’t carry out a decent bargain even in the rags of a row.” This was an “edification” to subjects who dared to stick their nose into politics.
We see essentially the same situation in “The Front Hall of a Noble Boyar.” This one-act play depicts a crowd of petitioners at the door of the room of an all-powerful favorite. They all came to him with important matters. But in reality it turns out that all petitioners are parasites or swindlers who can only take away the nobleman’s time. Here in front of us is a poor old woman who came to ask for benefits; “She’s lying,” explains Ekaterina, “she’s hiding the fact that she has a village that feeds her, and she’s also a drunkard.” Other petitioners are no better. So the conclusion is this: complaints about the inattention of rulers to the needs of the people are wrong. On the contrary, those who complain, who are forced to ask for help, for justice, are themselves very, very suspicious of Catherine. Interesting in this comedy is one visitor to the front nobleman, the Frenchman Oranbar; this is also a spotlight; he came from France to teach wisdom Russian government; He has a high opinion of himself, but a very low opinion of the actions of the authorities in Russia. In Oranbar, without any difficulty, one could recognize Mercier de la Riviere, and at the same time the French enlighteners in general; Catherine did not hesitate to portray her “friends” and “teachers” in her comedy in the most mocking manner.
Between 1772 and 1785 There was apparently a break in Catherine’s comedic work. In 1785-1786 she wrote three comedies against the Freemasons; in them she portrayed as swindlers the figures of the Masonic organization, in whom she, not without reason, saw her enemies. This was followed by a series of comedies lacking any edge. political orientation; this is a comedy of intrigue and harmless joke; Catherine insisted with them on her tendency to plant such a comedy on the Russian stage, as opposed to a comedy like “The Minor.” It must be said that Catherine’s later plays are boring and stupid, even the comedy “That’s What It’s Like to Have a Basket and Linen” (1786), designated by Catherine herself in the subtitle: “A free, but weak adaptation from Shakespeare,” is indeed a very weak reworking of “The Witches of Windsor” "(in the same 1786, Catherine worked on a no more successful reworking of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens into the comedy The Spendthrift). However, Catherine's very appeal to Shakespeare deserves attention. In addition to comedies, Catherine wrote historical chronicles in the second half of the 1780s, also in “imitation of Shakespeare”; these plays were written without observing unities and other rules of classicism, without a single plot and were designed for magnificent stage design. The first of them is “Historical presentation... from the life of Rurik”, the second is “Oleg’s initial administration” (both – 1786). Their task is to glorify the wisdom of Russian autocrats and the saving power of autocracy. Catherine’s comic operas were no better, in which she wanted to use folklore, but could not get any closer to the essence of folk art; these are “Fevey”, “Novgorod Bogatyr Boeslavich”, “Brave and Bold Knight Akhrideich” (all three - 1786), “Woe-Bogatyr Kosometovich” (1789). It should be noted that these pseudo-folk operas are also not without political meaning. Thus, Fevey concludes with an admonition to Pavel Petrovich to obey his mother Catherine, not to go beyond her will and not to strive to travel abroad (it is known that Catherine did not love her son, crowded him and was afraid of his claims to the throne; the question of Paul’s trip abroad in 1781 -1782 was a hot political issue). Opera about Boeslavich, i.e. Vasily Buslaev, represents Vasily as a prince who taught a lesson to the Novgorodians who wished to disobey the autocrat, and forced them to fawn over the saving cruelty of the autocracy. The opera about the unfortunate hero Kosometovich is a satire on the Swedish king Gustav III, who began unsuccessful war against Russia, and perhaps against Pavel Petrovich, who tried to take part in military operations against the Swedes and was removed from this matter by Catherine, who was afraid of his influence in the army. In Catherine's operas (as well as in her “historical performances”), prose text many arias and choruses are inserted, some taken from poems by Trediakovsky, Lomonosov, Sumarokov, and some composed by the Empress’s secretary Khrapovitsky.