page_title: Legends of Catherine the Great
hierarchical_section_title: Legends of Catherine the Great
caption_attribution_description: English: Catherine II of Russia, empress of Russia; Catherine II the Great (1729-1796) Deutsch: Katharina II. die Große (1729-1796) Zarin von Russland
context_page_description: During and after the reign of the flamboyant and powerful Empress Catherine II of Russia, whose long rule led to the modernization of the Russian Empire, many urban legends arose, some false and others based on true events, concerning her sexual behavior.
  Catherine had 22 male lovers throughout her life, some of whom would reap political benefits from their relationship with her, and many of whom were younger than she. In addition to her sexual relationships, her multiple illicit relationships with Russian nobles, and unfounded rumors that she liked to collect erotic furniture, and an atmosphere of palace intrigue cultivated by her son Paul I of Russia, led to negative portrayals of Catherine.
  Some called her the "Messalina of the Neva", while others termed her a nymphomaniac. The rumors even extended into the circumstances surrounding her death, with one tale claiming she died while having sexual relations with a horse, when she actually died from a stroke.
context_section_description: During and after the reign of the flamboyant and powerful Empress Catherine II of Russia, whose long rule led to the modernization of the Russian Empire, many urban legends arose, some false and others based on true events, concerning her sexual behavior.
  Catherine had 22 male lovers throughout her life, some of whom would reap political benefits from their relationship with her, and many of whom were younger than she. In addition to her sexual relationships, her multiple illicit relationships with Russian nobles, and unfounded rumors that she liked to collect erotic furniture, and an atmosphere of palace intrigue cultivated by her son Paul I of Russia, led to negative portrayals of Catherine.
  Some called her the "Messalina of the Neva", while others termed her a nymphomaniac. The rumors even extended into the circumstances surrounding her death, with one tale claiming she died while having sexual relations with a horse, when she actually died from a stroke.
caption: Catherine II, Empress and Autocrat of all the Russias
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