The Instruction of Catherine the Great: Enlightened Absolutism

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]

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

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's Greek Project — an audacious imperial dream to restore the Byzantine Empire under Russian control. They discuss the Grand Tour of the Russian court to the newly annexed Crimea in 1787, the naming of Catherine's second grandson Constantine after the last Byzantine emperor, the strategic alliance with Joseph II of Austria, and the dramatic siege of Ochakov. They also delve into the role of Grigory Potemkin in orchestrating this plan, the construction of the city of Kherson, and the creation of the Black Sea Fleet. The episode examines how the Greek Project shaped Russian foreign policy and ultimately collapsed after Catherine's death. #CatherineTheGreat #GreekProject #ByzantineEmpire #Potemkin #Crimea1787 #RussianEmpire #JosephII #Ochakov #BlackSeaFleet #Kherson #Constantine #GrandTour #RussoTurkishWar #EasternQuestion #History #FexingoHistory #18thCentury #ImperialRussia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Catherine the Great and the Volga Germans: A Colonist Experiment

In the 1760s, Catherine the Great issued a series of manifestos inviting foreign settlers to Russia, offering free land, religious freedom, and exemption from military service. Tens of thousands of Germans from the war-ravaged Holy Roman Empire responded, establishing agricultural colonies along the lower Volga River. This episode explores the founding of these Volga German settlements, the promises made by Catherine's government, the harsh realities of the journey and early years, and the long-term legacy of a community that maintained its language and culture for over two centuries until the upheavals of the 20th century. We look at specific colonies like Saratov and Kamyshin, the role of the Russian Crown's recruitment agents, and the tensions between imperial ambition and settler experience. The episode also touches on how the Volga Germans fared during the Soviet era, including their fate under Stalin's deportations during World War II. This is a story of empire-building, migration, and cultural persistence that remains little known outside specialist circles. #VolgaGermans #CatherineTheGreat #RussianEmpire #GermanColonists #Saratov #VolgaRiver #ManifestoOf1763 #EmpireBuilding #MigrationHistory #SettlerColonialism #RussianHistory #18thCentury #CulturalPersistence #StalinDeportations #AutonomousSSR #PeterIII #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Catherine the Great and the Charter to the Nobility of 1785

In 1785, Catherine the Great issued two landmark charters that redefined Russian society: the Charter to the Nobility and the Charter to the Towns. While the Nakaz had promised enlightened reform, these documents codified the privileges of the elite and formalized a rigid social hierarchy. Lucas and Luna explore how the Charter to the Nobility granted nobles exemption from taxation, corporal punishment, and compulsory service, effectively creating a legally protected aristocracy. They also discuss the Charter to the Towns, which established urban governance but excluded the vast majority of the population—peasants and serfs. The episode examines the tension between Catherine's Enlightenment ideals and the realities of autocratic rule, touching on the reactions of nobles, merchants, and the disenfranchised. Drawing on primary sources like the charters themselves and contemporary accounts from figures such as Alexander Radishchev, the conversation reveals how Catherine's reforms both empowered and constrained different segments of Russian society, setting the stage for future conflicts. #CatherineTheGreat #CharterToTheNobility #CharterToTheTowns #RussianHistory #1785 #Nobility #Serfdom #EnlightenedAbsolutism #StPetersburg #Moscow #AlexanderRadishchev #ZhalovannayaGramota #TownDuma #SocialHierarchy #18thCentury #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Catherine the Great and the Smolny Institute: Educating Elite Women

In 1764, Catherine the Great founded the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg, the first state-run school for girls in Russia. This episode explores the institute's curriculum, daily life, and the empress's vision of creating a 'new race' of enlightened women. We discuss the influence of French educator Fénelon, the role of the institute's first director Ivan Betskoy, and the contrasting experiences of noble and bourgeois students. The episode also examines the limits of Catherine's educational reforms—how Smolny's graduates often faced restricted roles despite their learning. Featuring details on subjects taught, from mathematics to etiquette, and the lasting impact on Russian society. #CatherineTheGreat #SmolnyInstitute #RussianEducation #IvanBetskoy #Fénelon #StPetersburg #18thCentury #WomenInHistory #Enlightenment #EmpressCatherine #RussianEmpire #EducationReform #NobleWomen #Bourgeoisie #HistoryOfEducation #EasternEuropeanHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]