73. Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and the Russian Enlightenment

11/14/22 • 55 min

Peter the Great and Catherine the Great dominated Russia's 18th century. The remarkable transformations of Russian government, society, empire and culture that they led are symbolised in the astonishing statue of the Bronze Horseman in St Petersburg. The statue was a gift from Catherine II to Peter I, and it represents the power, energy and military prowess with which Peter transformed the Russian state. But it also represents the genius with which Catherine the Great presided over the Russian Enlightenment. As part of the continuing series of telling Russian History backwards and debunking the 'Black Legend of Russian History, Jeff Rich tells the tale of Russia's 18th century when there was one great Emperor and four remarkable Empresses.

The music at the start and end of the show is from The Story of Tsarevich Fevey, was set to music by Vasily Pashkevich (court composer for Peter III, Catherine the Great's husband), courtesy of YouTube. Catherine the Great composed the libretti.

I read from Pushkin, "The Bronze Horseman" from The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry (2015), and Dominic Lieven, In the Shadow of the Gods: the Emperor in World History (2022).

You can explore all of Jeff Rich's work at https://linktr.ee/burningarchive.

I read from Pushkin, "The Bronze Horseman" from The Penguin Book of Russian Poetry (2015), and Dominic Lieven, In the Shadow of the Gods: the Emperor in World History (2022).

You can explore all of Jeff Rich's work at https://linktr.ee/burningarchive.

Previous Episode

72. War and Peace and Conservatism in Russia's 19th Century - Part II

Part Two of this extended episode on Russian history in the global 19th century examines the debate between Westerners and Slavophiles, the divide between peasant serfs and urban commerical intelligentsia, and the complex relationship between empire and nations in the Russian empire. And we briefly examine the true history of Russia's defeat of Napoleon and liberation of Europe, that contains lessons for security in Europe today.

Next Episode

74. Russia's First Civil War - The Time of Troubles and Two Murder Mysteries

In the early 1600's Russia suffered a traumatic civil war, political instability and social chaos. This period is known as the Time of Troubles. It left a mark on Russian political institutions and historical culture. But most of all it featured remarkable characters - the self-made Tsar, Boris Godunov; his sister, the first female ruler of Russia, Irina Godunova; and, most enigmatically of all, the claimant to the throne, known to history as False Dmitri. This story can only be fully understood, however, by investigating two murder mysteries, both involving the sons of Ivan the Terrible.

In preparing this episode, I used Chester Dunning, Russia's First Civil War: the Time of Troubles and the Founding of the Romanov Dynasty, and Mark B. Smith The Russia Anxiety, and how history can resolve it. They are brilliant books, do check them out.

Music - brief excerpts from Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov, Vienna Philharmonic

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