Sleepy History - Catherine The Great

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Drift off to sleep with the remarkable life of Catherine the Great in this relaxing bedtime history story. From a young German princess to one of Russia’s most powerful and enlightened rulers, Catherine’s reign was marked by ambition, intelligence, and sweeping reform. But who was the woman behind the crown, and how did she leave such a lasting legacy? Tonight, travel back to the grandeur of imperial Russia, as we explore the fascinating story of Catherine the Great, gently guiding you into a deep and restful sleep. Narrated by: Jessika Gössl Written by: Alicia Steffann Includes mentions of: Religious Traditions, Death, Disease, Vaccines, Marriage, Childbirth, Military History #history #sleep #bedtime #story #russianhistory #catherinethegreat About Sleepy History  Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep.  Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen ad-free, get access to bonus episodes, and support the ongoing production of this show. Check out our premium feed. At MedCan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led,

Full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish. Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan. Live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. When the weather cools down, Golden Nugget Online Casino turns up the heat.

This winter, make any moment golden and play thousands of games like her new slot Wolf It Up and all the fan favorite Huff and Puff games. Whether you're curled up on the couch or taking five between snow shovels, play winner's hottest collection of slots from brand new games to the classics

you know and love. You can also pull up your favorite table games like blackjack, roulette, and craps or go for even more excitement with our library of live dealer games. Download the Golden Nugget Online Casino app and you've got everything you need

to layer on the fun this winter. In partnership with Golden Nugget Online Casino. Gambling problem call ConX Ontario at 1-866-531-2600. 19 and over. Physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggettcasino.com for details. Please play responsibly.

In the history of the world, there are certain rulers who earned lasting fame. Empress Catherine II of Russia is certainly one of those figures. But what do we really know of her true story? How did the daughter of a minor German prince become one of the most illustrious rulers in Russian history? In what ways did she foster an era of enlightenment? And why did her educated modern views conflict with many of her actions? Tonight we'll discover how Catherine's choices resulted in a legacy that is sometimes admirable, sometimes regrettable, and always complex.

So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history. as we explore the sleepy history of Catherine the Great. Nowadays, if you were to mention Princess Sophia from Anhalt Zeppst, you would probably elicit many blank looks. However, there's a good chance that people would know who you were talking about if you referred to Catherine the Great. In fact, these names represent the same person. Following the evolution in her identity is one of the best ways to understand how a little girl from Prussia managed to become a legend in Russian history.

Sophia was born May 2, 1729, in Stetin, Prussia, which is now part of the western area of Poland. Her father was a minor German prince named Christian August. Her mother was Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp, who had familial ties to Swedish royalty. Being a prince sounds very important to us today, but this was a time in history where there were many more royals who were competing for wealth and position. In that context, Sophia's father was not very influential. Her one lever of influence was that her mother had more wealth and more exalted royalty in her family. Sophia was raised in keeping with the tradition for girls in her position at that time.

A governess taught her the subjects that were considered important for an advantageous marriage, such as French and the rules of etiquette. She was also brought up strictly in the Lutheran faith. These are the basic details history presents about young Princess Sophia, but those who delve more deeply into her background tell a richer story about a clever and determined girl who had great promise. In her own memoirs, written many years later, Catherine characterized herself as a tomboy who taught herself to master a sword.

Award-winning biographer Robert Massey, who wrote hundreds of pages about her life, describes a highly intelligent and practical young lady whose understanding of relationships and priorities was unusually good. Because of this, she had an early awareness that marriage was her. her best prospect for success in life. And she submitted without complaint to her mother's efforts to find her a promising husband. At the age of 10, Sophia was introduced to a boy who had recently become the ward of her uncle Adolphus.

The child in question was an 11-year-old named Charles Peter Ulrich, and he was the recently orphaned Duke of Holstein. However, despite his sad circumstances, he had very important connections. Namely, he was the great-grandson of Charles XIll 11th of Sweden, and he was the only living grandson of Russia's Peter the Great. His aunt Elizabeth was currently on the throne, and she had no living children of her own. When Sophia was introduced to Peter, she was unimpressed. Historical sources describe him as small, immature and sickly. In her memoirs later, she said that at the time they met, he already had a great liking for alcohol. But Sophia understood his position in the world and interacted politely with him.

She later wrote that she assumed he would one day become the king of Sweden, and that, although she was still a child, the title of Queen fell sweetly on her ears. Little did she know that political forces would soon change Peter's future beyond what even she had imagined. Late in the year 1741, when, Sophia was 12. The late Peter the Great's younger daughter Elizabeth took the Russian throne from her infant grand-nephew Ivan VI in a coup d'athar. It just so happened that Sophia's mother, Johanna, had ties to the new Empress Elizabeth, who had once been engaged to Johanna's brother. That marriage had never occurred due to the groom's untimely death,

but Johanna was an ambitious woman. She immediately reached out to Elizabeth to renew their connection. Meanwhile, the new Empress Elizabeth needed an heir. Because she was childless, the logical choice was her nephew, Charles Peter Ulrich, whom she plus. She plumbus, from obscurity in Prussia. It wasn't long before Johanna's eager diplomacy had landed her an invitation to bring Sophia to Russia in order to meet Elizabeth and to see Charles, now simply known as Peter III, once again. The journey to Russia was to be completed quickly. This expediency was requested by Elizabeth because she wanted to be completed. Peter married as soon as possible. Further, the apparent match was encouraged by Frederick, King of Prussia,

who wanted Peter to marry Sophia instead of another potential bride from Poland for political reasons. Within days, Sophia and Johanna had set off for Russia, stopping first in Berlin to see Frederick. Then, despite the frigid January weather, they commenced a brutally cold coach journey across bad roads that would take them weeks to complete. In early February, they finally arrived at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. At that time, the Empress Elizabeth and Peter had already moved on to the Kremlin Palace in Moscow for the Singapore. season, Sophia and her mother took two weeks to outfit themselves in proper Russian clothing and to rest. Then they pushed through the final leg of their journey.

Many historical sources gloss over the details of Sophia's arrival in Moscow, moving ahead to the moment she married Peter. However, it's important to understand the material. maturity and determination she showed during the time between setting foot in her new home country and exchanging her vows. From the first moment she arrived, Sophia began learning Russian. This was a language she expected to need in her future role as Peter's wife, even though he himself stubbornly preferred German. But more symbolically, she had agreed to completely give up her Lutheran religion in order to convert to Russian orthodoxy. This was a crucial step she had to achieve

prior to marrying Peter, and her part in that ceremony would be spoken in Russian. According to biographer Robert Massey, Sophia devoted herself to her studies with incredible zeal, and was known to pace the cold floors at night practicing her new language. This behavior was credited for a severe case of pneumonia she soon caught. Her mother Johanna disagreed with the blood-letting treatment the Russian doctors prescribed and was banished from the sick room. with Empress Elizabeth taking her place. According to Massey, the Empress cared so kindly for Sophia that it was a formative experience in their relationship.

During Sophia's illness, word travelled among the palace staff that she had studied Russian so energetically that she had fallen sick. Then, in her most dire moments, to further burnish her reputation and endear her to her new subjects, she requested an Orthodox priest at her bedside rather than a Lutheran one. In a short time, she had done more to impress the Russian people than Peter, who was resentful about leaving Prussia and his religion behind ever. had. This stage of her life in Russia is so important to understand, because it helps explain how she was able to gain power later in life. By the time she emerged from her sick room on her

birthday in the spring, she had won the hearts of the court. In the summer of 1744, Sophia knelt in the palace chapel draped in finery and committed to the Orthodox faith. At that moment, she also took her Russian name, Eccaterina, or Catherine in English, after Elizabeth's mother, who had been the wife of Peter the Great. The next day, amid much pomp, Catherine and Peter were betrothed in a four-hour ceremony. At the end of it, the German princess was a grand Duchess to be addressed as her imperial highness. After that day, she was given an entourage and rooms of her own, and she began her new life as Peter's future bride, which was to prove challenging in many ways.

The betrothal stretched longer than anyone had originally anticipated, due to a variety of factors, one of which was Peter's battle with a long illness. However, the pair were finally scheduled to be wed late in the summer of 1745. Making a power move, Elizabeth spared no expense in order to showcase the new, couple to the world. After all, it legitimized Peter as an heir who was likely to continue the family line. But even as the decadent preparations moved forward, the young couple was already moving apart. At first, Catherine had made an attempt to at least be friendly and supportive to Peter, despite his open lack of interest in her, romantic.

but according to her memoirs as the wedding grew near he distanced himself from her spending most of his time elsewhere further peter was by all reports a very strange young man who cared only for playing with soldiers and dolls and seemed to lack basic human empathy by the time the wedding arrived catherine was going through the motions with grubes grim determination. Massey quotes her as saying, My heart predicted little happiness. Ambition alone sustained me. And that ambition was one that would guide her for the rest of her life. She added, in my inmost soul, there was something that never for a single moment allowed me to doubt that, sooner or later, I would become the sovereign empress of Russia in my own right. At the end of the summer, 1745, Catherine and Peter were married at the Cathedral of Our Lady Kazan,

not far from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The ceremony was a spectacle of jewels, incense and candles, and it lasted three hours. Despite Elizabeth's hopes that she would soon have a grandchild, the couple's marriage remained distant, platonic, and unconsumated. As Catherine wrote in her memoirs, that was a situation that remained without the slightest change during the following nine years. It would be normal for any young woman in an unhappy marriage like that, to turn to friends and other social outlets for solace.

Unfortunately, this soon became difficult for Catherine as well. In an effort to cement the relationship between the newlyweds, Elizabeth began to limit their other companions and install loyal allies of her own in their entourage so that they would spend time only with each other. With little else to occupy them, Peter turned to his childish military games and toy soldiers. Catherine, on the other hand, began to read.

She became an avid student of the French Enlightenment, the Roman historian Tacitus, and eagerly studied any Russian literature she could get her hands on. Although this seems to have been a lonely and challenging period of her life, It was during this time that she formed many of the interests and beliefs that would eventually shape her choices as an empress. Eventually, Catherine did have multiple children, although only one would survive as the legitimate heir. Her son Paul, born in 1754, was presented as the son of Peter III. However, many historians maintain that he was actually fathered by a Russian officer named Sergei Soltikov,

who appears to have been her first real romantic partner. According to numerous sources, Catherine's memoirs strongly implied that Paul was Sergei's son, even though she reversed that claim later in her life. Some would say for obvious reasons. Complicating the assertion was the fact that Paul didn't really resemble Solticoff at all. According to Massey, his physical similarities to Peter III as he grew into adulthood. Further reassured Paul that he was Peter's son, and everyone accepted this as the truth, as far as the succession was concerned.

There is little argument, however, that at least two other children were born to Catherine, who were each fathered by subsequent paramours. Catherine's legacy seems unfairly compromised by her undeniable string of extramarital affairs, which continued throughout her life. However, anyone who understands the truth of her predicament in her marriage to Peter cannot help but feel she was justified. For added measure, according to Massey, Peter openly carried on affairs of his own.

Catherine herself later wrote, Had it been my fate to have a husband whom I could love, I would never have changed towards him. With her life as it was, she sought companionship elsewhere. Some sources would even suggest, that Empress Elizabeth privately sanctioned Catherine's dalliances with Soltakov, since having an heir was of the greatest importance to her. Even more so than knowing that air was of her bloodline,

however, there can only be conjecture at this point. The main fact is, Paul became the heir to the Russian throne after Peter III, and he believed himself to be wholly legitimate. In early January of 1762, the Empress Elizabeth passed away and Peter III ascended to the throne. History suggests that almost nobody else was happy about this development.

First, Peter was widely known to be immature, sure, unsurious, and to tend towards cruelty. More broadly, he had never overcome his resentment at having to leave Prussia as a child, and had openly rebelled against acquiring the Russian language, or ingratiating himself to the Russian people. Nonetheless, he was the clear heir to the throne, and he became are. According to Massey, Peter demonstrated no sadness at his Aunt Elizabeth's passing, immediately hosting lavish gatherings and delighting in his newfound power. Meanwhile, Catherine shrewdly observed mourning protocol, showing reverence to the former Empress. The people of Russia

noticed. What followed in the early days of Peter's reign was an unpredictable series of administrative actions that made no sense. Instead of governing with logic and intelligence, Peter spent his days drilling his soldiers to exhaustion and reveling late into the night. Further angering his subjects, he took hostile actions towards the Russian Orthodox Church humiliating the priests. Catherine was now officially the Empress. However, with Peter on the throne, her title was empty. As the better educated and wiser of the pair,

she still had to stand aside and watch Peter alienate the Russian people. Finally, possibly due to jealousy, Peter also began to exhibit hostile and mocking behavior, towards Catherine, that gave her some cause to be concerned for her own safety. As Massey points out, there's no way to know exactly when she began to think about overthrowing her husband, but it didn't take very long for her to act. At this point, for a few years, Catherine had been romantically linked with an influential soldier named Gregory Orloff, with his help and that of his equally influential brothers, a coup was organized.

On July 9, 1762, Peter was away at a country house. It was then that Catherine joined up with her troops loyal to her cause and rode into the capital, taking over the winter palace in her husband's absence, claiming to rescue the country and the church from Peter's poor governance, she easily gained the support of the Senate and the clergy and was declared ruler of Russia the next morning. Peter was arrested and told to abdicate. He did so in writing the following day with little resistance.

King Frederick of Prussia was later quoted, as saying, he had allowed himself to be dethroned like a child being sent to bed. What followed was a reign that would be rife with contradictions. On one hand, as a young student of the Enlightenment, Catherine had big dreams about making life more orderly and equitable for Russians. On the other hand, her desire for a glorious, legacy and a growing understanding of the complicated levers of power resulted in choices that now seemed to be far less admirable. Catherine began her reign having no experience in the administration

of an empire. In typical fashion, however, she applied herself industriously to the task of learning everything she could. Her early actions were to bring Russian soldiers home from foreign conflicts, appease the clergy, and take steps to reduce debt in the treasury. One huge dilemma was harder to solve, and that was the conflict between her wish to improve life for the Serbs and the reality that Russia was currently dependent on their labor. According to Massey, her largely agricultural country was supported by the work of 10 million serfs. She herself owned 500,000 serfs. Even the lands of the church were farmed by serfs. So while her own beliefs, informed by the Enlightenment, supported freeing these laborers, her sources of power, the nobles and the church,

depended on serfdom for survival. As a compromise, Catherine afforded serfs some legal avenues to be freed if they were owned illegally or greatly mistreated. She also issued new laws limiting how people could become bound as serfs, which represented an improvement. These alterations helped a limited number of people, but the system was otherwise fundamentally unchanged. Inspired by her progressive philosophical ideals,

Catherine also made an earnest attempt to update and reform the laws of Russia in an equitable way. The legal code was both obsolete and confusing, having been first created in the mid-1600s and, since then, adjusted ad hoc. in a chaotic manner. Catherine was ambitious to bring her country into the modern era. She issued a set of instructions called the NACAS

and assembled representatives from all the free classes and ethnicities of the empire to restructure the legal code. Published in 1767, the NACAS was cited by historian Isabel Demodariaga. as one of the most remarkable political treaties ever compiled and published by a reigning sovereign. It advocated for changes such as more humane and appropriate sentencing of crimes and concern for public safety and well-being. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the reality of getting a great many delegates to agree on new laws

was ultimately defeating. Her dream didn't come to fruition. But the publication of the NACAS outside Russia changed prevailing views about her country, improving many opinions about its modernity and sophistication. According to Massey, Catherine considered the document to be one of her greatest achievements. It is also definitely true that Catherine's efforts

for Enlightenment were marred by choices she made as an autocrat to expand and strengthen the power of Russia. One of the most notable acts of aggression during her time on the throne was her invasion of Crimea from 1768 to 1774, when her armies inflicted heavy losses on the Ottoman Empire. These victories gave Russians access to the Black Sea and allowed. allowed them to incorporate what is now southern Ukraine. Taking a cue from Peter the Great, another project of Catherine's was controlling Poland. She facilitated this by placing one of her former lovers,

Stanislov-August Poniatowski, on the throne, so that she could maintain a strong influence over the region. Together with Prussia and Austria, Russia divided up, and partitioned Poland three times in 1772, 1793 and 1795. Catherine did not manage to rule without resistance. The most notable example is the Bugarchov Rebellion, which took place from 1773 to 1775,

and which was the largest peasant revolt in Russian history. A disgruntled army officer and Kozak named Yemlyan Pugachov began to gather support in eastern Russia by claiming to be Peter III. Although Peter the 3rd was long dead and Pugarchov looked nothing like him, the people of the countryside didn't have enough information to understand that he was an imposter. He united peasants and Cossacks in an offensive, against the nobility that stretched from the Urals to the Volga River. Promising to end serfdom, Catherine was slow to respond.

At first, she didn't realize the seriousness of the threat. In those days, the remoteness of this part of her empire and slow communication insulated her from the news. However, the rebellion was eventually put down, and Pugarchov was arrested and executed. Still, this and other peasant revolts were a symptom of her struggle to please the nobles who kept her in power, while keeping the discontent of the working classes from upending her system. Catherine's legacy was also complicated by her notorious list of romantic affairs.

Even though she had no husband after Peter the Third Past, she was known to be indulgent with the series of men who kept her company. Of those people, Grigory Orloff was the father of at least one of her children, and a subsequent companion by the name of Grigory Potemkin was considered to be her most serious love match. Even in the twilight of her reign, she consistently sought company, often from men younger than herself. And this drew criticism, perhaps unfairly. On a more positive note, Catherine was very forward-thinking when it came to public health. Early in her reign, she founded Russia's first medical college and sought to recruit Western physicians. Not only did she found and support numerous hospitals, but she led by example in the innovative new science of vaccinations.

Having seen so many relatives, including her own husband, stricken by smallpox, Catherine was determined to find a solution. She invited a pioneer in smallpox vaccination by the name of Thomas Dimmesdale to come to Russia. Once he was there, she insisted he inoculate her as a test subject and example. In the fall of 1769, she took the vaccination successfully, demonstrating its safety. The members of the court eagerly followed, and the vaccination spread to the people from there.

Despite continuing skepticism, even in Western Europe, Russia became a leader in this process. With 2 million people vaccinated by the year 1800. For many people outside Russia, the most obvious legacy Catherine left the world was the astounding Hermitage Museum. Thanks to her avid acquisition of knowledge and correspondence with Philharmedes, philosophers of the day, Catherine became a passionate patron of the arts. From the beginning of her reign to the end, she eagerly purchased entire art collections that formed the world-renowned museum. Today, the Hermitage owns nearly three million items that date as far back as the Stone Age and include pieces from cultures from around the world.

Catherine's reign marked a period of investment in education, during which many more young people had access to schooling and cultural enrichment than before. Massey suggests in his book that this emphasis on learning set the stage for the great Russian authors and artists of the 19th century, including Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chikovsky, and others. Late in the year 1796, at age 67, Catherine passed away. She was succeeded by her son Paul and laid to rest in a place of honour near Peter the Great. So what are we to make of this woman who was full of contradictions? Robert Massey muses over this question in the conclusion to his book about her life.

Catherine believed in enlightened autocracy, he says. And while those two things may seem to be a contradiction, they appear to fit. On one hand, Catherine managed to modernize Russia, letting art and literature and ideas flood into the culture where they were nurtured. On the other hand, she sought to expand Russia's territory and its power in ways that were detrimental to everyday people and to the soldiers who fought her battles. And although her heart was with the liberal philosophers, she ultimately acted to preserve her own power over the well-being of the serfs. Massey relates a conversation Catherine had with one of Potemkin's

aids, in which she explained the source of her power. She told him that the key to being obeyed was to first discover what the people would accept and that. In this way, she would find out what effect her laws would have. Then she added, And when I am already convinced in advance of good approval, then I issue my orders and have the pleasure of observing what you call blind obedience. This quote says so much about Catherine's choice. in life. She came to Russia as an observer. She studied its history and its people. When she

ascended to the throne, she attempted to blend her knowledge of the modern world with the goals of Peter the Great and with the ideals of her adopted country. She left behind a legacy that demonstrates the challenges of striving for dreams that cannot be supported by the realities of maintaining absolute power. One thing is certain. Although her birth name is now all but a footnote, little 14-year-old Sophia from Anne Halt-Seabst made an indelible mark on history.