She Wasn't Even Russian and She Became Their Greatest Ruler

She arrived in Russia at fourteen with no money, no allies, and no legal claim to anything. Thirty-four years later, she had added 200,000 square miles to the Russian Empire, founded over 140 cities, built one of the greatest art collections on earth, and corresponded personally with Voltaire and Diderot. This is the full story of Catherine the Great: the German princess who reinvented herself as Russian empress, survived a loveless marriage, orchestrated a palace coup against her own husband, and ruled one sixth of the earth's landmass through war, rebellion, and revolution. From the coup of 1762 to the partitions of Poland, from her friendship with Enlightenment philosophers to the brutal reality of serfdom she never dismantled, this documentary traces the full arc of one of history's most formidable and contradictory rulers. If you enjoyed this deep dive into Russian imperial history, subscribe for more documentaries on the rulers, empires, and turning points that shaped the world.