History of Catherine the Great of Russia
Uploaded by pochi on Nov 16, 2006 |
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History of Catherine the Great of Russia
Catherine the Great, who ruled as Empress of Russia from 1762-1796, is one of those catalyzing forces in history, which, through hard experience, unbounded intelligence, and overwhelming practicality, changed the face of a country against overwhelming odds. Her background as a German princess, as well as her education in philosophy literature, led her to believe that Russia was a barbaric backward country; she dedicated her monarchy to bringing Russia into the modern, European Age.
Not many people at European courts believed that Catherine would last long. Another German without a drop of Russian blood in her veins. Catherine herself knew how fragile her position really was, and at the moment she left the sheltered world of a civilized court and stepped into Russia as it was: ignorant, superstitious, disorganized, unruly, often diseases and to a European appallingly backward. She decided to concentrate on increasing Russia’s wealth, and as Russia was primarily agricultural, she began with the land. Catherine began to turn Russia into a modern society bringing in new technologies from England while increasing the population of workers through advertisements that she sent to the rest of the world. Thousands of immigrants took to the road Catherine and her mother had traveled twenty years before.
Next she turned to mining and sent geologists to access the ores from Russia’s seemingly barren lands. She founded the first School of Mines in St. Petersburg; complete with an underground mine, where trainees could learn the trade under realistic conditions. As early as 1762 she decreed anyone could start a new factory, except in the two capitals, which were overcrowded. Soon, enterprising state peasants were running large textile plants. A whole range of industries began to emerge: lined, pottery, leather goods and furniture. The total number of factories during her reign was increased from 984 to 3161.
Catherine now turned to education. There were few schools in Russia. She started to convert a convent in St. Petersburg into a boarding school for girls, the Smolny Institute. She sent for Daniel Dumarsq, who had been a Fellow at Oxford and installed him as a member of the Educational Committee. In 1786, Catherine issues the Statue for Schools for all of Russia. Every district town was to establish a minor school with two teachers, every provincial town a major school with six teachers. She did not tackle the founding of Universities, as she knew that Russia lacked qualifies teachers for such institutes. She did, however, increase the number of grants for the study abroad.
When she looked at the public health at the beginning of her reign, she found the same lack as in education. She knew that the worst killer among children was smallpox. Dr. Thomas Dimsdale, who held a medical degree from Aberdeen, Scotland, aided Catherine in her quest to improve health care, making it possible to receive vaccinations for small-pox as well as other diseases. Catherine founded Russia’s first College of Medicine, consisting of a director, a president and eight members. She also founded hospitals for civilians. When she re-organized the provinces in 1775, she decreed that each provincial capital must have a hospital; each country with a population between 20,000 and 30,000 should have a doctor, a surgeon, an asst. surgeon and a student doctor. Catherine’s efforts prompted her gentry to follow her example.
Catherine possessed majesty without being pompous. She was neither cold nor inhuman. Over the years she lived through hurtful criticism, rebellion, war and estrangement from her son, whom she thought incapable of ruling Russia. She was a woman alone without her own family, except her beloved grandchildren. Although she had a deep love for her adopted country, it is entirely conceivable that at times she must have felt a certain longing for the place where once her cradle stood. Russia owes her much. After along reign of thirty-four years, Catherine died of a stroke on the 17th of November 1796. The next day the British Ambassador Charles Whitworth wrote: “Last night… this incomparable princess finished her brilliant career.” History knows her as Catherine the Great, a title she was offered during her lifetime and rejected. ‘I leave it to posterity to judge impartially what I have done” she said at the time; and Catherine has done well. She deserves the title, because she earned it. |
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