Catherine the Great was Russia's longest-ruling female leader. Known more for her affairs of the heart than for affairs of state, she did, however, greatly expand Russia's empire.

How Catherine really became 'The Great' Once the upstart foreigner stole Russia’s throne, there was no stopping her enlightened reforms, her empire's expansion, and her pursuit of love and legacy.

In addition to collecting art, Catherine commissioned an array of new cultural projects, including an imposing bronze monument to Peter the Great, Russia’s first state library, exact replicas of ...

Catherine the Great expanded Russia. Under Catherine’s rule, Russia expanded by 200,000 square miles. Of course, not all of those miles were obtained from their occupants willingly or peacefully ...

Catherine the Great is remembered for being Russia's longest ruling female head-of-state – a fact – and for allegedly banging a horse, a rumor addressed in the fourth episode, "Moscow Mule." ...

Hulu's The Great takes a similarly irreverent and tongue-in-cheek approach in telling the story of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), the 18th century Empress of Russia who plotted a coup d'etat ...

MARTA OF MUSCOVY — Phil Stong —Doubleday, Doran ($2.50). Lean, dark Prince Menshikov watched the plump maiden withdraw, blushing. "And now who might that be?" he leered.

Putin's Catherine the Great ideology could hold the key to his future plans The Russian leader has long admired the Empress's plans to create a "Novorossiya", or "New Russia".

Potemkin was Catherine the Great's lover and played a key role in the annexation of Crimea in 1783. Putin's imperialistic ambitions in Ukraine are tied to this history.

Catherine the Great was the last empress of Russia, ruling from 1762 to 1796. She is considered the founder of Odesa because in 1794 she decreed its birth.

The monument to Catherine the Great – known as the “founder of Odesa,” as the city was founded in 1794, under her reign – has suffered vandalism since the war began on Feb. 24.