Facts on the Life and Reign of Catherine the Great

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Catherine the Great's Lovers and Favorites 

  1. Sergei Saltykov: 1753-1754
  2. Prince Stanislaw Poniatowski: 1756-1758
  3. Prince Grigory Orlov: 1759-1772
  4. Aleksandr Vasilchikov: 1772-1773
  5. Prince Grigory Potemkin: 1774-1776
  6. Pyotr Zavadovsky: 1776-1777
  7. Semyon Zorich: 1777-1778
  8. Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov: 1778-1779
  9. Aleksandr Lanskoy: 1780-1784
  10. Aleksandr Yermolov: 1785-1786
  11. Count Aleksandr Dmitriev-Mamonov: 1786-1789
  12. Prince Platon Zubov: 1789-1796

 

Chronology of the Lives of Catherine and Potemkin

1729
  • Sophia Augusta Fredericka of Anhalt-Zerbst (future Catherine the Great) is born in Stettin on the Baltic Sea
 
1739
  • Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin is born in the village of Chizhevo near Smolensk
 
1740
  • Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria ascend the throne
 
1741
  • Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great, overthrows the infant Ivan VI and seizes the Russian throne
 
1744
  • Sophia arrives in Russia, converts to Russian Orthodoxy, becomes Grand Duchess Catherine, and is officially engaged to Grand Duke Peter
 
1745
  • Potemkin moves to Moscow and begins his studies
  • Grand Duchess Catherine and Grand Duke Peter are married
 
1752
  • Catherine begins liaison with Sergei Saltykov
 
1754
  • Catherine gives birth to Paul Petrovich, the future Paul I (1796-1801)
 
1755
  • Potemkin is enrolled in the Horse Guards
  • Catherine begins liaison with Stanislaw Poniatowski
 
1757
  • Potemkin visits St. Petersburg and is presented to Empress Elizabeth I in recognition of his academic success
 
1760
  • Potemkin is expelled from Moscow University for laziness
  • George III of England ascends the throne
 
1761
  • Catherine begins affair with Grigory Orlov
  • Potemkin leaves Moscow for St. Petersburg
  • Empress Elizabeth I dies; Peter III ascends the throne
 
1762
  • Catherine gives birth to Aleksei Bobrinsky, her son by Grigory Orlov
  • Peter III is overthrown and murdered; Catherine is proclaimed empress
 
1764
  • Stanislaw Poniatowski is elected king of Poland
 
1765
  • Emperor Francis I dies; Joseph II of Austria becomes emperor and co-regent with his mother, Maria Theresa
 
1767
  • Legislative Commission opens in Moscow; Potemkin serves as “Guardian of the Tatars and other Exotic Peoples”
 
1768
  • First Russo-Turkish War (1768-74) begins
 
1769
  • Potemkin volunteers for duty and leaves capital for the front
 
1770
  • Potemkin awarded Orders of St. Anne and St. George for fighting at Fokshany, Brailov, and Giurgevo; Russian navy defeats Turks at Battle of Chesme
 
1772
  • Gustav III of Sweden carries out coup to restore powers of the crown
  • First Partition of Poland
 
1773
  • Grigory Orlov falls from grace; Aleksandr Vasilchikov becomes favorite
  • Pugachev Rebellion begins
 
1774
  • Potemkin returns to capital; replaces Vasilchikov as favorite, and possibly marries Catherine
  • Louis XVI of France ascends the throne
  • Treaty of Kuchuk Kainardji ends First Russo-Turkish War
 
1775
  • Pugachev is executed in Moscow
  • Zaporozhian Cossack Host destroyed; territory incorporated into Russian Empire
  • American War of Independence begins
 
1776
  • Potemkin’s favor ends; Pyotr Zavadovsky becomes favorite
  • American Declaration of Independence is signed
 
1777
  • Semyon Zorich replaces Zavadovsky as favorite
  • Alexander Pavlovich, Catherine’s grandson and the future Alexander I (1801-25), is born
 
1778
  • Prussia declares war on Austria beginning War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-79)
 
1780
  • Aleksandr Lanskoy becomes favorite
  • Catherine meets Joseph II in Mogilyov
  • Maria Theresa dies
 
1781
  • Russo-Austrian treaty of alliance concluded
  • Battle of Yorktown ends land combat in American War of Independence
 
1783
  • Russia annexes the Crimea; Treaty of Georgievsk makes Georgia a Russian protectorate
  • Potemkin is stricken with malaria; Grigory Orlov dies
  • Treaty of Versailles ends war of France and Spain with Great Britain
 
1784
  • Treaty of Constantinople is signed by which Ottoman Porte recognizes annexation of Crimea
  • Potemkin officially founds city of Sevastopol
  • Favorite Aleksandr Lanskoy dies
 
1785
  • Potemkin is appointed commander in chief of the Russian armed forces in case of war with the Porte
  • Catherine issues charters to the nobility and towns
 
1786
  • Aleksandr Dmitriev-Mamonov becomes favorite
  • Frederick the Great of Prussia dies; Frederick William II ascends the throne
  • Potemkin founds Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk)
 
1787
  • Catherine and Joseph II tour southern Russia and the Crimea with Potemkin
  • The Porte declares war beginning Second Russo-Turkish War (1787-91)
  • Drafting of U.S. Constitution
 
1788
  • Joseph II declares war on the Porte
  • Triple Alliance among Britain, Prussia, and Holland is formed
  • Gustav III attacks Russia beginning Russo-Swedish War (1788-90)
  • Estates General are summoned in France
  • Turkish fortress of Ochakov falls to Potemkin
 
1789
  • Sultan Abdul Hamid dies; succeeded by Selim III
  • Fall of Mamonov; Platon Zubov becomes favorite
  • Revolution begins in France; storming of the Bastille
  • Russian victories over Turks at Fokshany, River Rymnik, Bender
  • Russian naval victory over Swedes at First Battle of Svensksund
  • Austrians take Belgrade and march into Bucharest
  • George Washington is elected president of United States
 
1790
  • Alliance between Prussia and the Porte is signed
  • Joseph II dies; Leopold II ascends the throne
  • Defensive alliance signed by Prussia and Poland
  • Convention of Reichenbach establishing armistice between Austria and the Porte is signed
  • Treaty of Verela is signed ending Russo-Swedish War
  • Russian victories over Turks at Tulcha and Ismail
 
1791
  • Ochakov Crisis: Britain and Prussia threaten Russia with war
  • Potemkin visits St. Petersburg for last time
  • Revolution in Poland: Constitution of 3 May
  • Louis XVI flees Paris and is caught at Varennes
  • Peace of Sistova is signed ending war between Austria and the Porte
  • Potemkin dies on the way to Nikolaev
  • Treaty of Jassy is signed ending Second Russo-Turkish War
 
1792
  • Gustav III is murdered in Sweden
  • Russia invades Poland
  • Monarchy falls in France; France declares war on Austria
 
1793
  • Louis XVI is executed in Paris; Reign of Terror begins
  • Second Partition of Poland
 
1794
  • Polish insurrection is crushed by Russia
  • Robespierre is toppled in France
 
1795
  • Third Partition of Poland
  • The Directory is put in power in France
 
1796
  • Nicholas Pavlovich, Catherine’s third grandson and the future Nicholas I (1825-55), is born
  • Catherine the Great dies; Paul I ascends the throne