Catherine, the greatest: self-polished diamond of the Hermitage

The name of Catherine the Great has always been surrounded with stories and superlatives, often about her private life and court intrigues. Some of these stories belong to the realm of myth, but others are perfectly true. At the age of fourteen, Catherine the Great (1729-1796) was a German princess married off to the Russian tsar. She later overthrew her husband, Peter III, and claimed the throne for herself. Catherine would become the greatest tsarina of all times. She had ambitious plans to reform the whole empire and acted with great foresight. Although she encountered setbacks, her achievements were astounding. This book gives us a closer look at her life.