Catherine the Great: Russia's Most Powerful Empress — Fexingo History

Catherine the Great and the Plague Riot of 1771

6 min · 27. Juni 2026
Episode Catherine the Great and the Plague Riot of 1771 Cover

Beschreibung

In September 1771, Moscow descended into chaos as bubonic plague killed hundreds daily. The city's governor, Pyotr Saltykov, fled, and Archbishop Amvrosy tried to stop crowds from gathering at the Bogolyubskaya icon for miraculous healing. When he ordered the icon removed, a mob stormed the Kremlin, dragged Amvrosy from the Donskoy Monastery, and beat him to death. Catherine the Great, still consolidating power, dispatched Grigory Orlov to restore order. This episode explores the Plague Riot through the eyes of those who lived it: the terrified aristocracy who abandoned Moscow for country estates, the hospital doctors like Afanasy Shafonsky who fought the epidemic, and the merchants who cornered the market on quarantine supplies. We examine Catherine's response—convening a special commission, enforcing quarantines, and burning infected homes—and ask whether the riot hardened her autocratic instincts or taught her the limits of imperial power. The plague killed over 50,000 Muscovites, but the political aftershocks reshaped Catherine's governance for decades. #CatherineTheGreat #PlagueRiot #Moscow1771 #BubonicPlague #RussianHistory #18thCentury #EpidemicHistory #GrigoryOrlov #Amvrosy #PyotrSaltykov #FexingoHistory #History #ImperialRussia #PublicHealthHistory #Riots #CatherineTheGreatPodcast #RussianEmpire #Plague Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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Episode Catherine the Great and the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792 Cover

Catherine the Great and the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792

In this episode of Catherine the Great: Russia's Most Powerful Empress, Lucas and Luna examine the second Russo-Turkish War of Catherine's reign, from 1787 to 1792. They explore the strategic clash between Russia and the Ottoman Empire over the Black Sea, focusing on key figures like Grigory Potemkin, Alexander Suvorov, and the Ottoman grand vizier Koca Yusuf Pasha. The discussion covers the dramatic siege of Ochakov in 1788, where Suvorov was wounded, and the stunning Russian victory at the Battle of Rymnik in 1789, where Suvorov earned the title Count of Rymnik. They also delve into the naval campaign, including the Battle of Fidonisi and the triumph of Fedor Ushakov at the Battle of Tendra. The episode concludes with the Treaty of Jassy in 1792, which secured Russia's hold on the Crimean Peninsula and shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe. Lucas and Luna bring to life the brutal realities of 18th-century warfare, the ambitions of Catherine and Potemkin, and the enduring legacy of this conflict for Russia and the Ottoman Empire. #CatherineTheGreat #RussoTurkishWar #Potemkin #Suvorov #Ochakov #Rymnik #Ushakov #TreatyOfJassy #Crimea #BlackSea #OttomanEmpire #RussianEmpire #KocaYusufPasha #Fidonisi #Tendra #18thCenturyWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Gestern7 min
Episode Catherine the Great and the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 Cover

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Gestern4 min
Episode Catherine the Great and the 1767 Legislative Commission Cover

Catherine the Great and the 1767 Legislative Commission

In 1767, Catherine the Great convened a unique experiment in Russian governance: the Legislative Commission. Gathering 564 deputies from across the empire — nobles, townspeople, state peasants, Cossacks, and even non-Russian minorities — she tasked them with codifying Russia's laws. Guided by her Nakaz, an enlightened instruction drawn from Montesquieu and Beccaria, Catherine hoped to reform Russia without surrendering autocratic power. But the Commission quickly became a forum for clashing interests: nobles demanded more control over serfs, townspeople sought privileges, and borderland delegates raised grievances. After 203 sessions over 18 months, Catherine prorogued the Commission without producing a new code, citing the outbreak of war with Turkey. Yet the Assembly of Deputies left a lasting legacy: it gave Catherine a detailed portrait of her empire's social tensions and provided raw material for later reforms, including the 1775 provincial government reform and the Charters to the Nobility and Towns of 1785. This episode unpacks the Commission's debates, the boldest proposals, and what Catherine really learned from a parliament she never intended to share power with. #CatherineTheGreat #LegislativeCommission #Nakaz #Montesquieu #Beccaria #RussianEmpire #1767 #18thCentury #EnlightenedAbsolutism #Serfdom #RussianNobility #Deputies #Moscow #StPetersburg #LawReform #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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Episode Catherine the Great's Greek Project: The Dream of Byzantium Cover

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Episode Catherine the Great and the Volga Germans: A Colonist Experiment Cover

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