Catherine the Great
Catherine the Great
Catherine II of Russia, also known as Catherine the Great, was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. Born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, she came to power following a coup d'état when her husband, Peter III, was assassinated. Russia was revitalized under her reign, growing larger and stronger than ever and becoming recognized as one of the great powers...
NationalityRussian
ProfessionRoyalty
Date of Birth2 May 1729
CitySzczecin, Poland
CountryRussian Federation
Praise is the only gift for which people are really grateful. Marguerite, Countess of Blessington I praise loudly; I blame softly.
If Russians knew how to read, they would write me off.
I will live to make myself not feared.
You philosophers are lucky men. You write on paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I am, I write on the susceptible skins of living beings.
Your wit makes others witty.
In my position you have to read when you want to write and to talk when you would like to read.
In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.
Men make love more intensely at 20, but make love better, however, at 30.
I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper.
For to tempt and to be tempted are things very nearly allied - whenever feeling has anything to do in the matter, no sooner is it excited than we have already gone vastly farther than we are aware of.
Power without a nation's confidence is nothing.
The most sure, but at the same time the most difficult expedient to mend the morals of the people, is a perfect system of education.
If I may venture to be frank I would say about myself that I was every inch a gentleman ...
Any man who doesn't partake in cigar smoking is nothing more than a weak-willed, meandering oaf, and I would never put my lips to those of any creature, man or beast, whose lips were not fresh awash in the currents of cigar smoke.'