Member-only story
Self-Made Catherine the Great
How did one woman manage to beat all the odds and achieve greatness in the 18th century?
The air was cold and unwelcoming, a stark contrast to the warmth and comfort of her childhood home. She didn’t speak a word of Russian and struggled to communicate with those around her.
The customs were vastly different from what she was used to, but that brave little girl refused to let these obstacles stand in her way. She knew if she wanted to survive she would need to adapt.
At first glance, Sophie Friederike Auguste may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to become Catherine the Great of Russia.
After all, she was born in Germany and had not a drop of Russian blood running through her veins. However, fate had other plans for Catherine’s life. She would go on to marry Peter, the heir to the Russian throne and become ruler of an entire nation.
Who would have guessed that this foreign princess would go on to become one of the most influential and long-lasting rulers in the history of Russia?
But even after all that, they just could not forgive her for all the success.