I am Catherine the Great, I was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. I came to power after overthrowing my husband, Peter III. Under my long reign, inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment, Russia experienced a renaissance of culture and sciences, which led to the founding of many new cities, universities, and theatres, along with a large-scale immigration from the rest of Europe and with the recognition of Russia as one of the great powers of Europe.