Over two centuries of biographies of
Catherine II exemplify the particular problems of writing about women as rulers and writers.
Catherine II, after all, haunted nineteenth-century opera overtly as well as covertly.
The main achievement of this lively book is to render a comprehensive account of the various experiences of these female rulers, from the well-known characters (Elizabeth I, Marie de Medicis, Mary Stuart, Christina,
Catherine II among others), to the more obscure (Charlotte of Cyprus, Catherine Comaro, Blanca of Navarre for instance).
Little Sophie had become
Catherine II, ruler of the Russian Empire.
During particular periods, Russians leaders like
Catherine II had severely limited the ability of the Orthodox Church to evangelize or reach out to non-Orthodox Christians and Tatar Muslims of the area.
His hatred towards the Muslims was so intense that he confided to
Catherine II of Russia: Overcome the Turks, and I will die content.
The second volume consists of seven equally varied chapters, these being "Music and Theater, 1730-1740", "Music in Court Life during the Reigns of Elizabeth Petrovna and
Catherine II", "Music in Russia's Domestic Life during the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century", "The Russian Horn Band", "Music in Russian Public Life during the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century", "Musical Creativity in Russia during the Eighteenth Century", and "Literature about Music, Publishers and Sellers of Sheet Music, Instrument Makers and Merchants."
The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, founded in 1763 by Russian Empress
Catherine II, prides itself in producing the best ballet dancers in the world.
BIOGRAPHY Catherine the Great by Simon Dixon (Profile, priced pounds 25) CATHERINE the Great (1729-1796), who ruled Russia as
Catherine II from 1762 until her death, remains notorious because of her many lovers, but her achievements are largely unknown today.
Novo-Tikhvin's story begins during an inauspicious period for Russian monasticism, when
Catherine II's 1764 reforms had more than halved the number of convents and subjected religious life to stringent restrictions.
Her success smoothed the way for the other four women (Anna Ivanovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizabeth, and
Catherine II) to rule without much objection premised on gender considerations.