Handwritten notes of Empress Catherine II. Notes of Ekaterina Dashkova
14.99 €
In stock
Handwritten notes of Empress Catherine II. Notes of Ekaterina Dashkova
14.99 €
"The Handwritten Notes of Empress Catherine II" and "The Notes" of Ekaterina Dashkova are two of the most famous monuments of memoir literature and invaluable sources of information about the events of the second half of the 18th century and the life of the court of Catherine the Great. Empress Catherine II's extraordinary literary gift bore abundant fruit. While ruling a vast country, she also corresponded with great thinkers, made translations, created librettos for operas and ballets, wrote fables, fairy tales, historical plays and comedies, essays, and published satirical and polemical articles. "The Handwritten Notes of Empress Catherine II" is both a masterfully executed self-portrait and a narrative of great historical and literary significance. Colourful sketches of court life, intrigues and conspiracies give the reader the opportunity to feel the whirlpool of events and the seething passions that preceded Catherine's accession to the Russian throne. Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova was an outstanding figure in Russian culture, one of the most educated women of her time, who contributed greatly to the flourishing of the Russian Enlightenment. For more than ten years (1783–1796), she headed the Imperial Academy of Sciences and Arts, and also became one of the founders of the Russian Academy, which is best known for creating the first explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Dashkova took an active part in organizing the coup d'état of 1762, which brought Catherine II to the throne. Subsequently, while abroad for about eight years, she met with Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Adam Smith and other figures of science and culture of that time. Her "Notes" are a vivid, first-hand account of the events of the second half of the 18th century.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books in the series Biographies, autobiographies, memoirs