(gentle dramatic music) - I was the empress of Russia. The greatest the country ever had. So I should be the one to bring
the successor to the throne into the world. They thought little of me. Yet, I mastered the power
game better than any man. (scoffs) Men? Yeah, yeah. I know everything that's said about me. That I got up to unspeakable
things with countless lovers. But the truth? Only I know. (suspenseful music) (horses whinnying) (suspenseful music continues)
(air whooshes) (upbeat music)
(people laughing) - [Man] Cheers! Drink up! - [Catherine] I can remember everything. I wrote all of it down. - [Man] Your roll.
- [Catherine] My life, I doubt that any author
could have written it better. (upbeat music continues)
(people chattering) - [Man] Give me some more.
- Look at that! Look at that, boys!
- [Catherine] My mother was born into nobility. - [Man] Ha-ha, I told you! - Surely, you can't be serious. - There is nothing else around. You have the choice:
cold, hunger and wolves, or warmth, food and peasants. - [Man] Ah, look at that! (men laughing) - [Man] I won! (laughs)
(upbeat music continues) - [Catherine] And me? I was a
disappointment to my mother. She thought I wasn't pretty
enough, and above all, I wasn't a boy. But suddenly, I, of all people, was the one who could
change our family's life. (men shouting)
(men laughing) - After everything, this is
too much, too much, I tell you. And for the future wife of
the Grand Duke of Russia. - Most gracious one, if you shout your destination any louder, then there is little
chance of reaching it. So hold back, most gracious one. - What do you say, huh?
(upbeat music continues) (men muttering) - Drink this, girl, it'll warm you up. - Hey, what's up? Go
on, leave us, get going! (patrons cheering) (cup chatters)
(men cheering) (gentle music) - [Catherine] My beautiful Russia. I came here in 1744. I was called Sophie Auguste
Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst and was to be presented at court. (snow crunching) (sled scrapes) The kingdom needed a wife
for the future emperor of all Russians. I was approved for this task, as long as I could prove myself. (horse whinnies) - Sophie, pull yourself together. You only have yourself to
blame for drinking that filth. - I'm truly sorry, Mother.
It doesn't happen often. - I, I don't think you understand, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. And you? Being stupid,
challenging fate with your antics. I doubt you'll even manage
to stand before the empress. - Well, perhaps she should
have a secret lover, a singer from the court chapel. - Child, you worry
about your own business. (gentle music continues) (horse whinnying) First things first, we must take care of your future husband. (dramatic music) - [Catherine] Our journey
was 1,500 kilometers. We were traveling for seven weeks. Although by Russian standards, that was just a stone's throw. We still had to travel
for another four months to reach the kingdom's eastern border. After all, the ruler of this huge kingdom was expecting us in
Moscow, in the Kremlin. (dramatic music continues)
(horses whinnying) (church bells ringing) (gentle music)
(carriage rattling) - Sophie, would you please
just stop fidgeting? - Yes, Mother. Mother, look there. That must be her. The Empress Elisabeth. That dress is wonderful. - She owns more than 5,000, and never wears any of
them more than once. Honored, Princess, please
excuse me. My name is Maria. I will act as your lady-in-waiting
during your stay here. - Whatever you want me to do I can- - What do you mean by stay? - What's she like, the
empress? How can I please her? (dramatic music) - Speak not, unless she
has asked you to speak. And if so, weigh up your words precisely. Elisabeth had her own great
grand-nephew locked up. Nobody has heard from him since. - What did he do? - Nothing. (ominous music)
(feet thudding) (metal clanks) (door slams) In Russia, nobody is safe on the throne, as long as there is someone
else who could seize it. - The empress threw a child in the dungeons?
- Sh! Not so loud. (dramatic music) There is not a single room in this palace where you can talk aloud freely. There are secret passages everywhere and the walls are quite thin. You must always assume that
someone will hear you speak. And every person whom
you trust can betray you. - Psst. It's starting. (dramatic music continues) (upbeat dramatic music) - [Announcer] I announce to Your Majesty, Empress Elisabeth Petrovna, the arrival of the Princess Sophie Auguste
Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst and her mother, Duchess
Johanna von Holstein-Gottorp. - Go. (upbeat dramatic music continues) (suspenseful music) - Hmm, a charming girl. Charming. (giggles) Alexei Gregorovich,
what do you think? - As astute as your observations are, she's not comparable to Your Majesty. (giggles) Charmer, that surely would not cause me any alarm. I have heard that you
are quite a smart girl. - Yes. No, I don't know. - Everything remains to be seen. Huh! (door clattering)
(gentle dramatic music) - [Catherine] Grand Duke Peter, my cousin whom Elisabeth
had adopted in order to someday take over her throne. - Do it now. - [Catherine] The man with whom I should share a table and bed and eventually the crown, of course. - We should leave the young
people alone for a moment to get acquainted. (gentle dramatic music continues) (floor creaks) - Simply delighted, my dear cousin. (Peter clears throat) Yes, we'd be happy. Yeah. We have chosen very well, have we not? - [Catherine] And now the course was set. There was no way back. (gentle music) (water splashing) I came from the house of Anhalt-Zerbst. Our small city was nothing
more than a fleck on the map. My father, Christian
August, did have a dukedom, but his land was scarcely bigger than the Prussian king's front garden. It was only a hundred
insignificant dominions, which befitting their social status, could barely feed their regents. (gentle music continues) But mother was born a Holstein-Gottorp, and was more closely related
to Prussian King Frederick II. He had suggested me as a
possible bride for Russia. He hadn't wanted to send his own sisters. (powerful music) Because an insignificant
bride doesn't cause any significant difficulties, I yielded to all instructions, rejected my Protestant beliefs
and converted to Orthodox. When Peter and I stood before the altar, I no longer bore the name
which my parents had given me. - My God, my little girl. (gentle music) - So that we do not misunderstand
each other, valued cousin, pack all your things and go on home. (men singing in foreign language) I personally assure you
that your journey home will be comfortable. There will be no need to worry about that. (curious music) - [Catherine] Henceforth,
I was left to myself, and to my husband. (woman vocalizing)
(dramatic music) - My God, how long has it
been, Soph? Sorry, Catherine. - [Catherine] Catherine. The
empress chose Catherine for me. Fine with me, that name
was as good as any other. I had decided to leave the past behind me. - [All] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. (dramatic music) - [Catherine] I can't explain it clearly, but Russia was my country
from the first day here. I would spend my life here, and it was up to me to shape this life so that it would make me happy. - "My name is Catherine." - (speaking Russian) Of
course my name is Catherine, that is much too easy; ask me from here. - "It has been simply
delightful to meet you." (Catherine speaking Russian) (horse whinnies) "How is the esteemed wife?" (Catherine speaking Russian) (horses whinnying)
- [Driver] Ha! Yah, hey. (suspenseful music) - [Catherine] If I was the emperor's wife, the Russian people would
understand me and love me, but was this country easy to love? I had never seen poverty to
this extent in my homeland. What was it like for people
who had to live like that? For me, Russia was like a
book and I could hardly wait to open its first page. - Yah! He-yah!
- For my husband, it was a shackle.
- Hee-yah, hee-yah! (bottle scrapes)
(wine splashes) (Peter sips)
(upbeat music) (sighs) Is this my punishment? - [Catherine] Peter von Holstein was also from the German Dynasty. He never had designs
on the Russian throne. He was a suitable candidate
by a dynastic coincidence. Peter loved everything Prussian. Did I love him? How can
you ask such a thing? (upbeat music continues)
(air whooshing) At the start, I hoped that
we could arrange something with each other. (dogs barking) (door clangs)
(dramatic music) - Come on, hurry up. Come quickly! King Charles. Here, here,
here are you coming here? Your place is behind the other one. (Peter sighs) So did you have a nice day, Grand Duchess? (dog barks) This poodle will be the
death of me, so disobedient! It has no discipline. Outrageous! No discipline. (dramatic music continues) And now, we'll come to the
pleasant part of the day. My dear, my dear Catherine. We play the decisive battle. (box clattering) (clock chiming)
(pieces clattering) (clock ticking) Pew! (sighs) Pew, pew, pew. (groans) Go, Catherine, you take the
Russians. Take the Russians! (Peter imitated bugle blaring) Pow, pow, pow! (groaning) More! Pow! (laughs) (bells tolling)
(dramatic music) - [Catherine] After
one year, the enquirers were still friendly. After four years, quite impatient, and after eight years, it was clear that something
wasn't right here. - Well? And? - Well, as far as I can judge. No. - Hmm. (clicks tongue)
But she sleeps with him. - That's true. - One must always take
things into one's own hands. Listen, I want you to
arrange something for me. (dramatic music continues) Hmm. Yes? (cat meows)
(lips smacking) (Elisabeth giggles) - [Catherine] So as long as
I didn't fulfill my holy duty of motherhood, the days stretched
endlessly in front of me. - What do you think about this one? - Not green again. My duty, be beautiful,
chat, receive people. (upbeat music) A solid hour would go
by before I was dressed. And that was only the first wardrobe. For the afternoon and evening society, the whole thing would begin again. Mm, the secret code. - [Maria] Frivolous? Hesitant? - And what is this called? - [Maria] That's nymphomaniac. - For goodness' sake. (sighs) Then do it. (upbeat music continues) - The next one, please. (men laughing) (lift rattling) (people chattering)
- [Man] Hoo-ee! (people laughing) - There was a dining room in the Peterhof Palace which had no doors. You could only access it via a lift. But that was not enough. Food also would appear, as if by magic. (people applauding)
(man laughing) Yes, it was quite fun. But such things couldn't fulfill a person. (bright music) I found my escape in books. First, it was novels. I devoured one after the
other until I was bored. Then I went on to history books. (gentle music) "It is good to live in distress,
it's like a coiled spring." He was so right. Good Montesquieu. He was so right. It was so soothing to
think about something more than powder puffs and court gossip. (globe rumbles)
(gentle music continues) There were many gifted
thinkers in Petersburg. Geniuses of mathematics,
philosophy and astronomy. - [Man] Grand Duchess. - [Catherine] Peter the Great
had a gigantic globe made which was in the palace. - Please, sit down, Grand Duchess. The stars will just take their course without you even having to follow them. I will show you how the sky has changed. (wood creaking)
(dramatic music) - Very interesting, Professor. But I prefer to control the movement. (playful music) But who to share all
of this knowledge with? At the table, I would
be of little interest. - You must try this delicacy. It's called eyes awoken
in the morning in sauce. An extraordinary delicacy indeed. (people chattering) - Mm! - It's paradise. Simply heavenly. A specialty from Ukraine. It tickles the palate wonderfully. - Well, my love, then try your exceptionally
sensitive palate on this. - Mm! This is definitely French. Yum
- [Man] Perhaps it's, uh. - Has it come from Paris?
(man burps) - Ah, so very close. (men laughing) The pate was delivered
specially from Strasbourg. (woman giggles) - [Diner] From Paris. - Mm! Did you hear that it's
said the duke quite recently, Does she know about it? - No, of course she doesn't. (all laughing) - Ah, yes.
- Do tell us, my love. - She really mustn't complain. Do you know last autumn when she, um, with that Swedish diplomat, you know. (all laughing) - What happened there
didn't have much to do with conventional
diplomacy, as we have heard. (people laughing) (dramatic music) - Obviously everyone had their fun. It went on in the same
cycle year after year. Balls, journeys, boredom. The empress ruled, my husband
and I lived next to each other and the court made up its intrigue. (hooves clomping) The young court, as Peter's
entourage was called, was often away on trips
and hunting parties. (energetic music) In 1752, something surprising happened. (born blaring) Or had I only waited long enough? (rifle fires) (dramatic music) Do we know each other? - Sergei Saltykov, your
faithful servant, Grand Duchess. - Sergei (speaking in foreign language). The name Saltykov has an
impressive ring to it at court. - I assure you, my forbears
have served the emperors for many centuries. And as such I can also
be of service to you. (dramatic music continues) - [Catherine] What kind of man was this? I was 24 years old and
yet nobody had ever looked at me like that. (upbeat dramatic music) (upbeat dramatic music continues) It was whispered about
day in, day out at court. Now I could understand it. (upbeat music) (pickle crunching) (heart beating) The consequences couldn't
be ignored for long. - Argh! Not the long
one, the short one, fool! (gentle music) Now, my dear, what has brought you to me? - Some news which should
make you happy, Your Majesty. I'm, I'm expecting the heir to the throne. (dramatic music) - Heir to the throne? - Yes. (Elisabeth laughing) - Your child will be the one, regardless of who its father is. (Elisabeth laughing) Go, child. Maria! Bring Sergei to me. (Elisabeth claps)
(Elisabeth laughing) God, up in Heaven. (faintly speaking) - You called for me? - Mission accomplished, my dear. (giggles) It shall not harm you. - Should you require my
service again. Any time. - [Catherine] I only learnt
about everything much later on. I had really believed that
he was the love of my life. (suspenseful music) (Catherine gasping) On the 21st of September,
1754, the labor started. - I smell wonderful tea. - [Catherine] I awaited
the delivery with dread. Countless women had died in childbirth. The doctors were charlatans. (Catherine panting) The midwife had first
been sent to the empress. - And? - It's still going on. (foot stomps) (Catherine groaning)
(suspenseful music continues) (Catherine yelling) It's gone on too long. (Catherine yelling) (Catherine yelling) (baby crying) (baby shrieking) - [Catherine] It was a boy. I only held him for a few seconds. Paul was taken straightaway
to the empress's residence, where he would also grow up. (dramatic music) Others would determine his life. As for mine, I vowed then that only I
would determine my life. (upbeat dramatic music) For Peter, Paul was
unquestionably his son. As long as the successor
to the throne was secured. - I wonder who the boy
actually looks like. - Probably me. - Hmm. Yes, but the eyes are clearly mine. - There you go, dear husband, we are actually a happy little family. - Hmm, that is quite true, especially if everyone
can go their own way. (ominous music) And you have finally done
your duty for the family. - Is that a threat? - Threat? I would never do that, Highness. - All in good time, my dear
Peter, all in good time. Sit straight, boy. - I would rather play. (upbeat dramatic music) - Then go. Peter was right. He and the court could
treat me how they wanted. They had distanced the
boy from me long ago. I might as well have never seen him. But I didn't really miss him. (balls cracking) (people clapping) It's your turn. Sergei was soon sent away abroad, and he moved on to the next affair. - [Soldier] To the left! Forward, hut! - [Catherine] But I had learnt my lesson. After that, it took a long
time to give my heart again. Maria, who is that? But many received my favor. - [Soldier] Present arms! (dramatic music) (balls clacking) - You don't know him? That's Grigory Orlov with his brother. - Orlov. Have him come to me. (balls cracking) - Um, what shall I tell him is
the purpose of his audience? - I will tell him when I meet him. - Grigory wasn't scared of anything. Not of an affair with
me and with many others. And I decided that men
can be used very sensibly. You only have to tell them where and how. My lords, let's continue. Who else would like me
to show them how to play? (sultry music) Hey. Let me show you
how it's done. (giggles) Grigory Orlov was a wonderful lover. And I now also knew
precisely what I wanted. Erotic paintings, snuffboxes. It was a common practice
all over the court. We had our toys, and we had our fun. (sultry music continues) (Catherine moans) Grigory wouldn't be
the last man in my bed. I never made a secret of it. (whip slaps) Over the years I introduced
21 men officially as my favorites at court. (giggles) So many, that was fewer than the number of mistresses my male colleagues on European thrones wore out in one year. What is this prudishness?
We are all only human. And I believe that none of my favorites had the time to regret me. Likewise, if I became weary of them, I compensated them royally. (whip slaps)
(sultry music continues) They were all worth it. (dramatic music) - Dear God. - [Catherine] I had been
at the emperor's court for 18 years. - Take me to your (faintly speaking). (dramatic music continues) Empress Elisabeth kept
getting ill several times, but then would recover each time. But now it seemed serious. (instruments clicking) (blood drips) - It's nearly the end. (keys clinking)
(dramatic music continues) - [Catherine] It was a tense time. Everyone tried to gather as
much information as possible in order to have the best position in the event of a change of government. (keys clinking) (lock clicking) The small boy, Ivan, who Elisabeth had once
locked in the dungeon, had become a young man, who hadn't had a single
day of freedom in 21 years. (dramatic music continues) - Czar, Czar.
(water drips) - Does he know who he is? - No. He only knows that word. (suspenseful music) - [Catherine] Peter also kept up to date with Ivan's condition. - Don't worry, there's
no danger, he's mad. - [Catherine] He prepared himself to finally assume the throne for which he had been summoned from Germany nearly two decades ago. (dramatic music)
(bells ringing) Empress Elisabeth had become
famous amongst the people for her piety. Rightly so because she sincerely believed. (Peter coughing)
Peter could never really reconcile himself
to the Orthodox beliefs. Therefore, spirituality
was an important factor of power in Russia. I knew that it could not be ignored. (bells chiming) Did it play a role in what I thought? Peter made plans, but I would have been the last person he would have betrayed. Because who said that I
would still be at his side if he ascended to the throne? (gentle dramatic music) - (giggles) Fire! (laughs) (cannon fires)
(Elisabeth gasps) - [Maria] He wants to see you. - [Catherine] Who? - The Grand Duke, Peter, your husband. - I know who Peter is, Maria.
But why does he want me? - He's keeping up to date
with young Ivan's condition. And he's been keeping a lady lover, an impossible person named- - Elisabeth Vorontsova, I know. You mustn't believe that
you are the only one who brings me news, my dear. I have learnt my lesson. She apparently loves his soldier's games. (Elisabeth giggles)
(soldier thuds) (playful music) (Elisabeth laughing) (Peter laughing) - Where is the blasted general? Come. You must see this. (gentle dramatic music) (Elisabeth giggles) - You called me for this? - But she was guilty. And according to military
law deserved nothing less than the highest penalty. (gentle dramatic music continues) - What did she do?
- Do? This here, she climbed
the walls, and there. The situation is quite clear. The penalty is the same
for all those who defy the future emperor's orders, I'm afraid. In Russia, there is only
one who makes the orders, and that is the emperor. (ominous music) (Elisabeth giggling) - Or the empress. (Elisabeth shrieks)
(Peter chuckles) (mellow music) On Christmas, 1761,
Empress Elisabeth died. I didn't really mourn her death. She controlled my life
too much for my liking. But I had learnt a lot from her because she also showed me
how far one can go as a woman, and that too much sentiment
for a throne is dangerous. - Long live Emperor Peter. (mellow music continues) - [Catherine] My husband was now ruler of the biggest kingdom in Europe. With all of the power that
this title brought with it. (fireworks popping)
(bells ringing) (dramatic music) Peter made peace with Frederick the Great and ended the Seven-Year War with Prussia. (soldier clattering)
(wind whooshing) He had big plans and approached it with a decisiveness that I
would not have expected of him. - It doesn't matter whether
any Russian interests are in play in Denmark. This is about my interests. Stand down. (dramatic music)
(boots clicking) - And I stood in the
way of these interests. If he sends me to a convent,
I would be fortunate. Peter loathes me. - Because he knows that he
can't hold a candle to you. - And what use is that if
I have to take the veil? It's not certain that I will
survive the next few weeks. Peter has bestowed the Order
of Catherine on Vorontsova. What can that mean other
than he wants to marry her and get rid of me? - And what if you get ahead of him? (ominous music) (upbeat music)
(water splashing) - [Catherine] It was at the
time of the White Nights, in the year of 1762. Peter had been in power for six months, and yet, he still hadn't been crowned. He didn't understand that
the people revere the crown and not the one who wears it. His mistake was my chance. I had endured the Romanovs and
their arrogance for 18 years, and now they wanted to discard
me like a moth-eaten dress. It was time to act. (cat meows) (dramatic music) If I have learnt one thing
in all of these years, it is that you need strong allies if you want to achieve something. Grigory Orlov and his
brothers scoped the situation in the military for me.
(coins clinking) (fist thuds)
- Remember where to take it. - [Catherine] A bit of pressure here, a nice little sum there.
(coins clinking) And the number of my followers grew. - It is done.
(bells ringing) - [Catherine] The church
expected me to protect it from threatened expropriation. (powerful music) What had I to lose? If I did nothing, I would be nothing. So instead, I acted. (door thudding) - Now is the time. - [Catherine] What, already? - [Alexei] Now or never. - You sound like your brother. - Yes, and he has always been right. - Maria, I want to get dressed. Quickly. (dramatic music) (Catherine sighs) My dear, I am about to
ascend to the Russian throne. I would hardly do that in such an outfit. Get me, get me a Guards uniform. Now! (gentle music)
(water splashes) Peter had moved back into
his favorite Peterhof Palace and celebrated the
Peter and Paul festival. He didn't have the slightest idea of what was brewing against him. (Peter and Elisabeth laughing) (cork pops) - And now, my dear
Elisabeth, the Prussian era is dawning. Hup!
(both laughing) (powerful music)
(hooves clomping) - [Soldier] Move aside. - [Soldier] Make way for the true empress. - [Soldier] Make way! - [Catherine] It was dawn when we arrived with the Izmaylovsky Regiment, in front of the Towers of Petersburg. - [Soldier] Make way! (hooves clomping) (soldier marching)
- And halt! (hooves clomping) - Soldiers! - [Catherine] Now I had to succeed in getting the Guards on my side. I had never spoken in front
of such a crowd before. (horse whinnies) The hour has come to protect our country from the greatest dangers. Our church is in danger. An unwelcome foreign belief
comes to take the place of our old religion. Our honor is in danger. It has been trampled on by the conclusion of a peace agreement with our deadly enemy, Frederick II. (couple moaning) (couple giggling) - What is it? What is it? What is it? (suspenseful music) - The peace with Frederick,
that is only the beginning. - Our country risks being conquered, yes, and being sacrificed. - I'll send armies to fight against Denmark, against Denmark. - It is your bravery on which
our country now depends, it is your loyalty on
which my power depends. (Elisabeth giggling) (Peter chuckling) There is only one way. (both laughing) - You, my dear, I will make. - And this is my duty. (sighs) With the help of God
and also the sincere desire of our loyal subjects
to ascend the throne. - I will make you the Empress Of Russia. - As the absolute and the one true leader (Elisabeth giggling) of Russia. (soldiers chanting in Russian)
(soldiers cheering) (somber music) But no one came to Peter's aid. No one came to give him advice or told him how he could avoid catastrophe. Those loyal to him left
him when they heard of my appearance in Petersburg. (Catherine sighs) (somber music continues) In just one day, I had
changed Russia's fate. I had really done it. I, Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst, had defeated the great Romanovs. (somber music continues)
(boots thudding) When Peter realized how things were, he was completely deflated. He wrote to me assuring me that he wouldn't do
anything more against me. He just wanted to go back to Germany. - You are hereby arrested
in the name of the empress. - [Catherine] Could he have been serious? Or was he trying to lull me
into a false sense of security? (dramatic music) So, as long as Peter was alive,
there was a threat to me. (ominous music) (metal clinking) A few days later, I received
a letter from Alexei Orlov. "Empress, there has been a disaster, blows were exchanged with
Duke Fyodor at the table. We weren't able to separate
them, and thus he was no more." (suspenseful music) (head thuds) I never ordered Peter's death, honestly. But didn't I have to know
that it had happened? (ominous music) Exactly as in the case
of the deplorable Ivan, (exciting music) who was sadly killed
when my opponents wanted to free him from his cell. (powerful music) I didn't ponder over
these things for long. (crowd cheering) On the 23rd of September, 1762, I was crowned empress in Moscow. Many had expected that I
would only rule vicariously through my son. But I would not play the role
of court scenery any longer. No, it was my throne
(people applauding) and it was my crown. (bells ringing) (dramatic music) I recorded my memory of everything that happened in my memoirs. Or perhaps it was how I
wanted to have it remembered. I have learnt to act like a man. With one difference,
I have done it better. Because I was a ruler such as Russia and Europe had never seen. (powerful music) (powerful music continues) (powerful music continues)
