Catherine I of Russia
A former servant who rose from Peter the Great's consort to become Russia's first ruling empress, securing his legacy in a turbulent court.
1684–1727 (age 43)·Empress of Russia from 1725 to 1727·Birthday: April 15
Biography
Catherine I's story is a staggering ascent from obscurity to absolute power. Likely born into a peasant family in present-day Latvia, she was working as a servant when she was taken as a prisoner during the Great Northern War. Her life transformed when she caught the eye of Tsar Peter I, becoming his mistress and, against all tradition, his wife. She was no mere consort; Catherine accompanied Peter on military campaigns, displaying a formidable stamina and a calming influence on his volatile temper. Her genuine affection for him and her common-born resilience made her his trusted companion. Upon Peter's sudden death in 1725, with no clear successor, the palace guards who adored her propelled Catherine onto the throne. Her brief reign was largely directed by Peter's closest advisor, Alexander Menshikov, but her very presence as empress prevented chaos and ensured the continuation of her husband's transformative, if brutal, modernizing projects.
#1 When Catherine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1684
Catherine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1684Born
1689Started school
1697Became a teenager
1700Could drive
1702Could vote
1705Turned 21
1714Turned 30
1724Turned 40
1727Died at 43
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman to rule the Russian Empire in her own right, founding the short-lived Catherineine branch of the Romanov dynasty.
- Established the Russian Academy of Sciences, a project conceived by Peter the Great, by signing its founding decree in 1725.
- Supported the First Kamchatka Expedition of Vitus Bering, which later confirmed the strait between Asia and North America.
- Maintained stability after Peter's death by relying on his established governing bodies, the Supreme Privy Council and the Senate.
Did You Know?
Her birth name was Marta Helena Skowrońska, and she was of Polish-Latavian peasant origin.
She was reportedly the only person who could calm Peter the Great's famous rages and debilitating headaches.
Before their official marriage, she and Peter had twelve children together, only two of whom survived into adulthood.
The Order of St. Catherine, Russia's highest award for women, was instituted in her honor by Peter the Great.
“I was a servant girl; now I hold the scepter of all the Russias.”
