Home > Catherine I of Russia

Catherine was born in Jakobstadt ( Jekabpils), Latvia. Originally she was given the birthname of Martha Skavronskaya and was the daughter of Samuil Skavronski, a Lithuanian peasant. She was married at the age of 17 to a Swedish dragoon, having been working at the time as a servant to minister Gluck of MarienburgThere are many fortresses, castles, and towns of this name. Some are: A castle built by the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, that soon developed into a city in the Province of Prussia, from 1309 to 1466 the capital of the Teutonic Order state. Nowadays known. Russian forces captured the city, she was captured and forced to work in the laundry of the regiment which captured her.

Later she was sent to, and became the mistress of, Prince Aleksandr MenshikovAleksandr Danilovich Menshikov ( 1673 1729) was a Russian prince. He rose from humble origins, accompanying Peter the Great on his tour of western Europe. Fought in the war against Sweden and helped conquer the territory that became the site of Saint Pete, the best friend of Peter the Great. In 1703Events February 2 Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 In Japan the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 Earthquake in Norcia, Italy May 27 Founding of St Petersburg May 26 Portugal joins Great Alliance July 29- 31 Daniel Defoe is plac, while visiting Menshikov at his home, Peter met Martha, and shortly after he took her as his mistress. In 1705Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. It is completed in 1724 The Sophia Naturalization Act 1705 is passed by the English Parliament, which naturalized Sophia of Hanover and the "issue of her body" as British subjects., she converted to Orthodoxy and changed her name to Ekaterina Alexeevna. She married Peter in February of 1712Events Treaty of Aargau signed between Catholic and Protestants. Introduced Protestant faith in Switzerland. Thomas Newcomen builds the first piston-operated steam engine at Tipton, Staffordshire, UK. Ongoing events Great Northern War ( 1700- 1721) War of and bore him 11 children, all of whom died in childhood except for Anna and ElizabethYelizaveta Petrovna ( December 29 1709 January 5, 1762) was an Empress of Russia ( 1741 1762). Life before becoming Empress Born in Kolomenskoye, Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter I and of his second wife, Catherine I (a former Latvian peasant, Martha Skav (later Elizabeth I, empress of Russia from 1741Events April 10 Austrian army attack troops of Frederick the Great at Mollwitz December 19 Vitus Bering dies in his expedition east of Siberia December 25 Anders Celsius develops his own thermometer scale Celsius William Browning invents mineral water Eli to 1762).

In 1724, Peter named her Tsarina and joint ruler. Peter died in early 1725 without naming a successor, encouraging the guards regiments to proclaim her as the ruler of Russia, giving her the title of Empress. The real power, however, was with her former lover, Menshikov, and the Supreme Privy Council. She was the first royal owner of the Sarskoje Selo estate, later renamed Tsarskoye Selo.