Who was Catherine I of Russia? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Marta Helena Skowrońska, Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya

Died At Age: 43

Family:

father: Samuel Skowroński

mother: Elisabeth Moritz

children: Catherine Petrovna, Elizabeth of Russia, Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna of Russia, Margarita Petrovna, Maria Natalia Petrovna, Pavel Petrovich, Peter Petrovich

Born Country: Russia

Empresses & Queens Russian Women

Died on: May 17, 1727

place of death: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Ancestry: Swedish Russian, Belarusian Russian

Cause of Death: Tuberculosis

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1

When did Catherine I become the Empress of Russia?

Catherine I became the Empress of Russia on February 8, 1725, following the death of her husband, Peter the Great.
2

What were some of Catherine I's notable accomplishments as Empress of Russia?

Catherine I continued Peter the Great's modernization efforts, expanded Russia's territory, and strengthened the Russian military during her reign.
3

How did Catherine I contribute to the development of St. Petersburg?

Catherine I oversaw the construction of several important buildings and palaces in St. Petersburg, including the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Summer Palace.
4

What was Catherine I's role in the War of the Polish Succession?

Catherine I supported her son-in-law, Augustus III of Poland, in the War of the Polish Succession, which helped secure his position as King of Poland.
5

How did Catherine I impact the status of women in Russia during her reign?

Catherine I's reign saw some advancements for women in Russia, including the establishment of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, a pioneering educational institution for girls.

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Childhood & Early Life

Catherine I was born as Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya on April 15, 1684, to Samuel Skowronski and Elisabeth Moritz. She had four siblings. Her parents died of the plague in 1689, leaving behind five children.

After her parents’ death, Marta was taken in by an aunt and sent to Marienburg where she was raised by Johann Ernst Gluck. He was a Lutheran pastor and educator who was the first person to translate the Bible into Latvian.

Marta lived the life of a lowly servant in Marienburg. She remained illiterate throughout her life as no effort was made to teach her to read and write.

In 1701, at the age of seventeen, she was married off to a Swedish dragoon called Johan Cruse or Johann Rabbe, with whom she remained for only eight days. During this period, the Great Northern War was going on between Sweden and Russia.

The town where Marta lived was besieged by the troops led by Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev who took her captive. At first, she lived at Sheremetev’s home and worked there. Later, she traveled back to Russia with his army.

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Marriage with Peter the Great

In Russia, she worked in the house of Prince Alexander Menshikov, who was a good friend of Peter the Great of Russia. It was here that Peter met Marta for the first time. Within a short time, they became lovers even though Peter was already married.

Marta was energetic, compassionate, charming and always cheerful. She was the only one person who had the capability to calm Peter in his frequent bouts of rage.

Soon, she accepted the Russian Orthodox faith and received the name Catherine Alexeyevna upon baptism. Catherine thus became an inseparable part of Peter’s life; he married her as his second wife in February 1712. On May 7, 1724, Catherine was crowned Empress of Russia.

On January 28, 1725, Peter died without naming an heir to the throne. The guards and prominent personalities of Russia supported Catherine to be their next ruler.

Accession & Reign

In his entire life, Peter fought against corruption in Russia. He was a powerful ruler loved by his people. His sister Matrena and her husband Willem Mons sought the throne and started influencing Catherine through Peter. Peter found this out and executed Mons and exiled Matrena in 1724.

Catherine was officially crowned the Empress of Russia. Peter the Great had been an able ruler who had coined several policies to modernize Russia. Catherine followed his path.

During Catherine’s rule, the nation was mostly at peace and the expense of maintaining the military was ruining the government’s revenues. Catherine, who represented the interests of the “new men,” the common people, reduced the military expenditure and this tax relief to the common people made her a just and fair ruler in their eyes.

Issue

Catherine and Peter had twelve children, of who only Anna and Elizabeth survived to adulthood. She was succeeded by Peter’s twelve-year-old grandson.

Death & Legacy

Catherine died two years after Peter, on May 17, 1727, at the age of 43, in St. Petersburg, due to tuberculosis. She was buried at St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress next to her husband.

Catherine was the first woman to rule over Imperial Russia. She paved the way for a monarchy dominated by women, including her daughter Elizabeth and granddaughter-in-law, Catherine the Great.

Catherine was a great ruler who built the first bridges in the capital and gave her name to Catherinehof near St. Petersburg. The Tsarkoye Selo estate where the Catherine Palace exists still bears her name. Also, she gave her name to Kadriorg Park and the neighborhood of Tallinn, Estonia, the place where the Presidential Palace of Estonia exists now.

Catherine’s policies were reasonable and cautious, probably owing to her humble origins.

Facts About Catherine I of Russia

Catherine I of Russia was known for her love of gardening and spent much of her time tending to the gardens at the royal palaces.

She was the first woman to rule Russia as empress in her own right, following the death of her husband, Peter the Great.

Catherine I was a patron of the arts and supported the development of the Russian cultural scene during her reign.

Despite her humble origins as a servant, Catherine I rose to become one of the most powerful women in Russian history.

She was known for her kindness and generosity towards her subjects, often personally intervening to help those in need.

Catherine I of Russia Biography

You wanted to know

When did Catherine I become the Empress of Russia?

What were some of Catherine I's notable accomplishments as Empress of Russia?

How did Catherine I contribute to the development of St. Petersburg?

What was Catherine I's role in the War of the Polish Succession?

How did Catherine I impact the status of women in Russia during her reign?