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Secondary sourceBook1894

The Romance of an Empress: Catherine II of Russia

Kazimierz Waliszewski · 1894

A popular 1894 biography of Catherine II by Polish-French historian Kazimierz Waliszewski.

A popular biography written about Catherine II, presenting her life and reign to general readers.

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The Romance of an Empress: Catherine II of Russia
Kazimierz Waliszewski, The Romance of an Empress: Catherine II of Russia, 1894.

About this source

What it is

This is a biography of Catherine II written by the Polish-French historian Kazimierz Waliszewski and published in 1894. It was written for a general audience rather than only scholars.

Why it matters

Press reviews quoted in the book describe it as based on Catherine's own confessions and as painting a picture of the Russia she shaped. It shows how, a century after her death, Catherine's life was presented as a dramatic story for wide readership, mixing history with romance.

Look closer

  • What does the title tell you about how the author wanted readers to see Catherine's life?
  • Why might a book describe history as 'romantic'? What could this leave out?
  • How might a popular biography differ from a strictly scholarly one?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Catherine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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