Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, empress of Russia (1762-96), did much to transform Russia into a modern country. Originally named Sophie Fredericke Augusta, she was born in Szczecin, Poland, on May 2, 1729. She was the daughter of the German prince of Anhalt-Zerbst. At the age of 15 she went to Russia to become the wife of Peter, who is a nephew and a heir of Empress Elizabeth. Elizabeth died on Dec. 25, 1761, and Catherine's husband succeeded as …
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…Russia secured the Crimea establishing itself on the north shore of the Black Sea which used to be a dream. The fertile lands of the Ukraine were also opened for settlement and soon became the granary of Europe. Catherine also participated in the partitions of Poland (1772, 1792, and 1795), bringing a large part of that country under Russian rule. By the time of Catherine's death in Nov. 17, 1796, modern Russian society was organized and its culture had stablized.