Afleveringen
-
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the immense role of the Russian fur trade during Catherine the Great's reign. They explore how the pursuit of sable, ermine, and other pelts drove exploration, shaped the economy, and funded the Empress's ambitions. The conversation covers the Siberian promyshlenniki, the yasak tribute system, the founding of trading posts like Okhotsk and Kyakhta, and the competition with Chinese and European markets. Lucas explains how furs served as a form of currency, the impact on indigenous peoples like the Evenks and Buryats, and the ecological consequences of overhunting. The episode also touches on Grigory Shelikhov's early ventures in Alaska, setting the stage for the Russian-American Company. This untold side of Catherine's empire reveals the hidden engine of expansionist policy.#CatherineTheGreat #RussianFurTrade #Siberia #Promyshlenniki #Yasak #Okhotsk #Kyakhta #Evenks #Buryats #GrigoryShelikhov #RussianAmerica #FurTrapping #Sable #18thCentury #RussianEmpire #EconomicHistory #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's 1763 manifesto inviting German settlers to the Volga River region. They discuss the geopolitical motives behind the policy—populating the frontier, introducing agricultural expertise—and the religious promises that drew Mennonites, Lutherans, and Catholics from war-torn German states. The conversation covers the journey east, the establishment of over a hundred colonies, and the gradual erosion of the settlers' privileges under later tsars. Lucas highlights specific colonies like Katharinenstadt, the role of official 'recruiters' in Europe, and the long-term cultural legacy of the Volga Germans in Russia, including their survival through Soviet deportations. This episode fills a gap in the series by focusing on a distinct ethnic group within Catherine's empire, offering a fresh angle on her immigration policies.#CatherineTheGreat #VolgaGermans #RussianEmpire #Immigration #1763Manifesto #Mennonites #Lutherans #Katharinenstadt #Saratov #Samara #Colonization #Frontier #Privileges #CatherineTheGreat #FexingoHistory #History #18thCentury #EasternEuropeKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
In episode 97 of our Catherine the Great series, Lucas and Luna examine Russia's role in the partitions of Poland-Lithuania — the late-18th-century dismemberment that erased a sovereign state from the map. They explore how Catherine, Frederick the Great, and Maria Theresa carved up the Commonwealth in three stages (1772, 1793, 1795), the legal fictions used to justify the seizures, and the rebellion of Tadeusz Kościuszko in 1794. Lucas explains the liberum veto, the Confederation of Targowica, and why Catherine's former lover Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland, was forced to abdicate. The episode also reflects on the partitions' legacy for Polish national identity and Russia's westward expansion. A nuanced look at empire, sovereignty, and the cynical diplomacy that redrew Eastern Europe.#CatherineTheGreat #PartitionsOfPoland #PolishLithuanianCommonwealth #StanisławAugustPoniatowski #TadeuszKościuszko #FrederickTheGreat #MariaTheresa #ConfederationOfTargowica #LiberumVeto #RussianEmpire #18thCentury #EasternEurope #Diplomacy #Imperialism #KościuszkoUprising #History #FexingoHistory #PolandKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 18th-century Russia, a serf named Praskovya Kovalyova-Zhemchugova rose from peasant to prima donna of the most lavish private theater in the empire, owned by Count Nikolai Sheremetev. This episode explores the paradoxical world of serf theater under Catherine the Great, where aristocratic patrons created opulent performance companies from their own enslaved populations. We trace the Sheremetev estate's theater at Kuskovo and Ostankino, the training of serf actors in dance, music, and foreign languages, and the star-crossed love story between Count Sheremetev and Zhemchugova that eventually led to their secret marriage. Lucas and Luna discuss how serf theater reflected Catherine's Enlightenment ideals—patronage of the arts, Westernization—while resting on the brutal foundation of serfdom. They examine the legal status of serf performers, the few who gained freedom, and the thousands who remained property. This episode reveals the glittering, contradictory heart of Catherine's Russia: a stage where a serf could play a queen but never stop being a possession.#CatherineTheGreat #SerfTheater #Sheremetev #PraskovyaKovalyova #RussianHistory #18thCentury #Serfdom #Kuskovo #Ostankino #RussianTheater #Enlightenment #Aristocracy #Zhemchugova #CountSheremetev #FortressPlayers #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1764, as Catherine the Great consolidated power, an expedition led by Admiral Vasily Chichagov set out from Arkhangelsk with a secret imperial mandate: find a northern sea route to the Pacific. This episode digs into the science, politics, and sheer audacity of the Chichagov Expedition—its ships, the Novaya Zemlya ice pack, the role of Mikhail Lomonosov (who died just before it launched), and why Catherine personally backed it. We follow Chichagov's two attempts, his encounters with Inuit hunters in western Greenland, and the expedition's ultimate failure—and why that failure matters for 18th-century Arctic exploration. Along the way, we touch on the rival Dutch and British whalers, the brutal conditions aboard the three vessels (Chichagov, Panov, and Babayev), and how this forgotten voyage foreshadows later Russian Arctic ambitions. A story of hubris, science, and the imperial urge to map the unmappable.#ArcticExploration #CatherineTheGreat #MikhailLomonosov #VasilyChichagov #RussianEmpire #NovayaZemlya #BarentsSea #Greenland #18thCentury #AgeOfSail #ImperialScience #NorthwestPassage #Arkhangelsk #Inuit #LomonosovRidge #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEuropeKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
After Russia annexed Crimea in 1783, Catherine the Great faced a delicate problem: how to integrate the Tatar Muslim nobility into the Russian imperial system. This episode explores the creation of the Tatar mirzas as a loyal service elite, the formation of the Tauride Muslim Spiritual Assembly, and the policies that allowed Tatar nobles to retain lands and status in exchange for loyalty. We discuss the role of Şahin Giray, the last Crimean khan, the Tatar deputation to St. Petersburg in 1784, and the symbolic use of the Tatar horse guard. The episode also touches on the limitations of integration—how Russian officials distrusted Tatar loyalties and how Catherine's policies foreshadowed later imperial dilemmas in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Featuring names like Grigory Potemkin, Şahin Giray, and Mehmed II Giray, this is a story of pragmatism, cultural negotiation, and the uneasy peace of empire.#CatherineTheGreat #Crimea #TatarNobility #RussianEmpire #ŞahinGiray #Potemkin #IslamInRussia #TaurideMuslimAssembly #Mirzas #CrimeanTatars #ImperialPolicy #18thCentury #EasternEurope #BlackSea #History #FexingoHistory #RussianHistory #EmpireBuildingKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode, we explore the extraordinary partnership between Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin, one of the most powerful and enigmatic figures of her reign. We trace Potemkin's rise from a minor noble to the de facto ruler of Novorossiya, his role in the annexation of Crimea, and his visionary but controversial Greek Project. We examine the nature of their personal relationship—were they secretly married?—and the extent of Potemkin's influence on Catherine's domestic and foreign policies. We also discuss his legacy, including the myth of the 'Potemkin villages' and his final, desperate attempt to salvage the Second Russo-Turkish War before his death in 1791. Along the way, we touch on figures like Joseph II, the Comte de Ségur, and the naval battle of Svensksund, offering a nuanced portrait of a ruler and her favourite who together reshaped the Russian Empire.#CatherineTheGreat #GrigoryPotemkin #RussianHistory #Novorossiya #Crimea #GreekProject #PotemkinVillages #RussoTurkishWar #JosephII #18thCentury #EasternEurope #ImperialRussia #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #Empress #BlackSeaFleet #SevastopolKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode of Catherine the Great: Russia's Most Powerful Empress, Lucas and Luna explore the empress's transformation of the Winter Palace into one of the world's greatest art collections: the Hermitage. They discuss her early acquisitions from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky, the purchase of the collections of Pierre Crozat and Sir Robert Walpole, and the construction of the Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre by architects Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe and Yury Felten. Lucas explains how Catherine's collecting was not just personal pleasure but a tool of cultural statecraft—a way to assert Russia's place as a European power. They also touch on the Hermitage's famously secretive early access policies and the legendary 'Hermitage cats' that still guard the museum today. The episode weaves together art history, imperial ambition, and the personal tastes of an enlightened despot who amassed over 4,000 paintings during her reign.#CatherineTheGreat #HermitageMuseum #WinterPalace #RussianArt #JohannErnstGotzkowsky #PierreCrozat #RobertWalpole #JeanBaptisteVallinDeLaMothe #YuryFelten #SmallHermitage #OldHermitage #HermitageTheatre #CatherineTheGreatArtCollector #EnlightenedDespot #18thCenturyArt #RussianHistory #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
Catherine the Great is remembered as an enlightened despot, but her reign saw the worst expansion of serfdom in Russian history. This episode explores the paradox: how did a monarch who corresponded with Voltaire and dreamed of abolishing torture end up giving away hundreds of thousands of state peasants to her favorites? Lucas and Luna examine the 1767 decree that forbade serfs from complaining about their masters, the scale of the 1775 provincial reform that strengthened noble control, and the crushing of the Pugachev Rebellion — a massive peasant uprising that made Catherine cling even tighter to the nobility. They discuss figures like Alexander Radishchev, whose 'Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow' got him exiled to Siberia, and the little-known 'Peasant Question' that haunted Russian politics for a century. What did Catherine really think about serfdom? Could she have freed them? No simple answers, but a clear-eyed look at the limits of Enlightenment in an empire built on unfree labor.#CatherineTheGreat #RussianHistory #Serfdom #PeasantQuestion #PugachevRebellion #AlexanderRadishchev #Enlightenment #RussianEmpire #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope #ImperialRussia #StatePeasants #LandlordPeasants #1767Decree #KrestyanskayaVoina #SiberiaExileKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
Episode 90 of our Catherine the Great series explores the founding of the Russian Academy in 1783. We follow the story of Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, the first woman to lead a national academy of sciences, as she takes the helm of the Russian Academy. Lucas and Luna discuss how Dashkova commissioned the first comprehensive dictionary of the Russian language, the Slovar Akademii Rossiyskoy, a six-volume work that standardized and defined over 43,000 words. We delve into the rivalry between Dashkova and the older Imperial Academy of Sciences, the tension between innovation and tradition, and the cultural awakening of Russia under Catherine. Dashkova's own memoirs, written in later years, provide a vivid portrait of the era. This episode covers the establishment of the Academy, its goals of promoting Russian language and literature, and its legacy in the context of Catherine's broader project of Europeanizing Russia while asserting its unique identity. We also touch on Dashkova's fascinating life: her role in Catherine's coup, her exile, and her eventual return to favor. A story of intellectual ambition and the power of words.#CatherineTheGreat #RussianAcademy #EkaterinaDashkova #SlovarAkademiiRossiyskoy #RussianDictionary #18thCentury #RussianHistory #ImperialRussia #PrincessDashkova #LanguageStandardization #EnlightenmentRussia #WomenInScience #RussianLanguage #SaintPetersburg #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEurope #CulturalHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great’s ambitious Greek Project, the dream of restoring the Byzantine Empire under Russian control. They discuss the founding of the Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol, the strategic importance of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus, the role of Grigory Potemkin as viceroy of Novorossiya, and the naming of Catherine’s second grandson Constantine Pavlovich with the Byzantine restoration in mind. The conversation covers the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), the annexation of Crimea (1783), the military campaigns of Alexei Orlov and Samuel Greig, and the naval battles of Chesma and Sinop. They also touch on the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 and the failure of the Greek Project after Potemkin’s death. A nuanced look at Catherine’s imperial vision, the limits of Russian naval power, and the enduring legacy of the Eastern Question.#CatherineTheGreat #GreekProject #BlackSeaFleet #RussianEmpire #Sevastopol #GrigoryPotemkin #Novorossiya #EasternQuestion #RussoTurkishWar #TreatyOfKuchukKaynarca #Crimea #ConstantinePavlovich #NavalHistory #AlexeiOrlov #SamuelGreig #Byzantine #18thCentury #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
Before vaccines, smallpox ravaged 18th-century Russia, killing one in seven infants. Catherine the Great took a dramatic step: she herself underwent inoculation, then championed a nationwide campaign. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the empress's 1768 inoculation by English doctor Thomas Dimsdale, the role of Count Grigory Orlov, the founding of the Smallpox Hospital in St. Petersburg, and the resistance from the Russian Orthodox Church and public fear. They compare Catherine's approach to that of other European monarchs and discuss the legacy of her medical reforms in the context of Enlightenment ideas about public health and governance. The conversation also touches on the broader impact of smallpox on Russian society, the spread of inoculation across the empire, and the tension between tradition and progress in Catherine's Russia.#CatherineTheGreat #SmallpoxInoculation #ThomasDimsdale #GrigoryOrlov #RussianHistory #18thCenturyMedicine #Enlightenment #PublicHealth #SmallpoxHospital #RussianOrthodoxChurch #Inoculation #Variolation #EmpressCatherine #StPetersburg #HistoryOfMedicine #RussianEmpire #FexingoHistory #HistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1764, Catherine the Great founded the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in St. Petersburg — the first state-run educational institution for women in Russia. This episode explores the ambitions behind Smolny: Catherine's desire to create a 'new race' of enlightened citizens, the curriculum influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Ivan Betskoy, and the daily life of the students. We discuss the social divides between noble and bourgeois girls, the famous Smolyanki portraits, and the lasting legacy of Smolny as a symbol of female education. Listeners will encounter names like Ivan Betskoy, Sophie de Lafont, and the poet Gavrila Derzhavin, and learn how Smolny shaped generations of Russian women — from empresses to revolutionaries.#CatherineTheGreat #SmolnyInstitute #RussianHistory #18thCentury #WomensEducation #IvanBetskoy #SaintPetersburg #RussianEmpire #Enlightenment #JeanJacquesRousseau #Smolyanki #GavrilaDerzhavin #SophiedeLafont #NobleMaidens #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope #PodcastKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1785, Catherine the Great issued an extraordinary document: the Charter to the Towns, or Gramota na prava i vygody gorodov Rossiyskoy imperii. This was a bold attempt to create a European-style urban middle class (meshchane) in a deeply agrarian empire. Lucas and Luna explore how the charter divided city dwellers into six registers—from wealthy merchants (gosti) to craftsmen and posadskie—and established elected town councils (duma) with limited self-governance. They examine the real impact: did it foster civic identity or was it largely ignored outside the capitals? Along the way, they encounter figures like Gavrila Derzhavin, the poet-governor who tried to implement the charter in Tambov, and the little-known city of Tver, which became a model. The episode also touches on how the charter tied to Catherine's broader 'well-ordered police state' concept (blagochiniye) and how it set the stage for later urban reforms under Alexander II. A nuanced look at one of Catherine's most ambitious—and imperfect—Enlightenment projects.#CatherineTheGreat #CharterToTheTowns #RussianHistory #18thCentury #SocialHistory #UrbanHistory #Meshchane #GramotaNaPrava #GavrilaDerzhavin #Tambov #Tver #Blagochiniye #StPetersburg #Moscow #Enlightenment #ImperialRussia #FexingoHistory #HistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's audacious 'Greek Project' — a grand imperial scheme to revive the Byzantine Empire under Russian control, with her grandson Constantine as its emperor. They trace the origins of the plan in the 1770s, after the Russo-Turkish War, and its geopolitical implications for the Ottoman Empire, Austria, and Europe. Key figures include Grigory Potemkin, who championed the project, and Joseph II of Austria, who reluctantly allied with Russia. The conversation details the 1781 secret correspondence between Catherine and Joseph, the Treaty of Alliance of 1781, and the planned partition of Ottoman Europe. They also discuss the practical preparations: the naming of Constantine, the creation of a Greek-language school, and the dispatch of Russian agents to the Balkans. The episode examines why the project ultimately failed — due to Austrian reluctance, Ottoman resilience, and European power politics — and its legacy in Russian imperial ideology, including its echoes in later Pan-Slavism and the Crimean War.#CatherineTheGreat #GreekProject #ByzantineEmpire #RussianEmpire #GrigoryPotemkin #JosephII #RussoTurkishWar #OttomanEmpire #ConstantinePavlovich #TreatyOfAlliance1781 #Geopolitics #18thCentury #EasternQuestion #PanSlavism #ImperialDreams #History #FexingoHistory #PodcastKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most dangerous moments of Catherine the Great's reign: the Pugachev Rebellion of 1773–1775. They dive into the origins of the uprising among Yaik Cossacks, the charismatic leadership of Emelyan Pugachev who claimed to be Peter III, the rapid spread of the revolt across the Volga and Ural regions, and the brutal suppression led by General Alexander Bibikov and later by Count Pyotr Panin. The conversation highlights the social grievances of serfs, Cossacks, and Bashkirs, the role of the Imperial Army, and how the rebellion forced Catherine to reconsider her governance—leading to provincial reforms and the end of Cossack autonomy on the Yaik River. They also touch on Pugachev's use of rumors, the siege of Orenburg, and the lasting memory of rebellion in Russian history.#PugachevRebellion #EmelyanPugachev #CatherineTheGreat #YaikCossacks #OrenburgSiege #RussianHistory #Serfdom #Bashkirs #VolgaRegion #Ural #18thCentury #ImperialRussia #GeneralBibikov #CountPyotrPanin #Rebellion #CossackUprising #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
Did Grigory Potemkin really build fake villages to impress Catherine the Great during her 1787 Crimean tour? In this episode, Lucas and Luna separate legend from archival evidence. They explore Potemkin's actual development of Novorossiya — including the founding of Kherson, Yekaterinoslav, and Sevastopol — and how a combination of diplomatic intrigue, political satire, and later historiography created the enduring 'Potemkin village' myth. Along the way, they discuss the role of Joseph II of Austria, the construction of the Black Sea Fleet, and the reports of foreign diplomats like the Comte de Ségur. A nuanced look at one of history's most persistent clichés.#CatherineTheGreat #GrigoryPotemkin #PotemkinVillages #Novorossiya #Crimea1787 #RussianHistory #18thCentury #JosephII #Kherson #Sevastopol #BlackSeaFleet #ComteDeSegur #MythAndHistory #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEurope #RussianEmpire #HistoriographyKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1763, Catherine the Great received a secret report from Colonel Mikhail Shestakov detailing the brutal treatment of state peasants in the Ural mining districts. This episode uncovers the little-known story of how Catherine's enlightened ideals collided with the harsh realities of serfdom and industrial exploitation. We explore Shestakov's investigation, the peasants' desperate petitions, and Catherine's conflicted response — a reformer who could not afford to alienate the nobility. The episode also touches on the role of the Berg College, the Demidov family's ironworks, and the limits of Imperial justice. A revealing look at the dark side of Catherine's Russia.#CatherineTheGreat #MikhailShestakov #StatePeasants #UralMines #BergCollege #Demidov #Serfdom #ImperialRussia #Enlightenment #ShestakovReport #1763 #Ekaterinburg #RussiaHistory #18thCentury #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #EasternEurope #PodcastKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1785, Catherine the Great issued two landmark charters that redefined Russian society: the Charter to the Nobility and the Charter to the Towns. This episode explores how the Charter to the Nobility codified the rights and privileges of the dvorianstvo—the Russian nobility—for the first time in law. We trace Catherine's motivations, from consolidating support after Pugachev's Rebellion to her Enlightenment ideals of ordered liberty. We discuss specific provisions: exemption from compulsory service, freedom from corporal punishment, the right to form noble assemblies, and control over serfs. We also examine the darker side—how the charter reinforced serfdom and excluded the vast majority of Russians. Key figures include Catherine herself, her adviser Count Nikita Panin, and the noble delegates who shaped the document. The episode contrasts the charter's rhetoric with the reality of autocratic power, showing how Catherine granted privileges to secure loyalty while maintaining absolute control. This nuanced look at a pivotal reform reveals the contradictions at the heart of Catherine's enlightened absolutism.#CatherineTheGreat #RussianNobility #Dvorianstvo #CharterToTheNobility #1785 #EnlightenedAbsolutism #RussianHistory #Serfdom #NikitaPanin #PugachevRebellion #NobleAssemblies #CharterToTheTowns #18thCentury #EasternEurope #Empire #Reform #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
-
In 1780, as the American colonies fought for independence, Catherine the Great declared a policy of armed neutrality that reshaped international law. This episode explores how Russia, under Catherine's leadership, formed the League of Armed Neutrality with Denmark, Sweden, and other European powers to protect neutral shipping rights against British naval blockades. We discuss Catherine's motivations—economic interests, diplomatic balancing, and her complex relationship with Britain—and the league's impact on the American Revolution. Key figures include Catherine's foreign minister Nikita Panin, the Danish foreign minister Andreas Peter Bernstorff, and British Prime Minister Lord Frederick North. We also touch on Catherine's correspondence with the British ambassador Sir James Harris, who tried to sway her against the league. The episode reveals how Russia's stance influenced the war's outcome and set precedents for maritime law, all while Catherine pursued her broader goals of expanding Russian influence without direct military entanglement.#CatherineTheGreat #ArmedNeutrality #AmericanRevolution #LeagueOfArmedNeutrality #NikitaPanin #SirJamesHarris #LordNorth #AndreasPeterBernstorff #MaritimeLaw #NeutralRights #RussianEmpire #18thCenturyDiplomacy #BalticSea #BritishNavy #Denmark #Sweden #History #FexingoHistoryKeep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
- Laat meer zien
