The Russians Are Coming Hillwood Museum to Explore History of Catherine the Great by Gary Tischler If anyone should feel right at home at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, then it would have to be Ekaterina Alexeevna, formerly Sophia Augusta Frederica, also known to us and history as Catherine the Great. No question she would probably get along with the erstwhile resident, heiress and outsized woman of her time, Marjorie Merriweather Post, the founder of Hillwood and an avid collector of Russian and French art, most of which can be found in the Hillwood mansion. During the month of June, Hillwood Museum and Gardens will be exploring the history of Catherine the Great, the former empress of Russia who, outside of Peter the Great, was probably the most dramatic and influential of the Romanov rulers. There will be special displays of historic objects from Catherineís reign, a daily showing of the documentary film ìCatherine the Great: Lust for Art,î and a childrenís tour: ìMeet the Romanovs!î There will also be special lectures. On June 7, the topic (with e xquisite examples) will be ìRace and Nation: Ethnographic Porcelain Figures From the Reign of Catherine the Greatî given by Karen Kettering, associate curator of Russian art. On June 14, Yelena Harbick, assistant curator of Russian art, will lecture on ìCatherine and Her Circle: Public and Private Images.î Some of the documentary artifacts from Catherineís reign on display include a book of engravings by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Le Prince called ìDivers Adjustments et Usages de Russieî from 1775, one of the first visual portrayals of Russian peasants by a Western artist. Also on display is a Sevres plaque in the Wedgwood style portraying a profile portrait bust of Catherine, and a copy of ìNakazîóthe instructions Catherine wrote to her legislative assembly in 1767 with the hope of guiding the assembly in the creation of a new legal code upon which to govern Russia. Although the Romanovs clung to their autocratic privileges and their divine right to rule, all the way to the bitter end of the Russian Revolution, the ìNakazî is, without ever straying from the sovereignty of the sovereign, a document of the Enlightenmentóremarkable for its vision. The passion for absolutism is clear: Rule No. 9 of the ìNakazî states that ìthe Sovereign is absolute.î But then consider other writings such as, ìThe equality of the Citizens consists in this; that they should all be subject to the same laws Ö so as to prevent oppression.î Without even suggesting the abandonment of serfdom, the document seeks to alleviate the suffering of the serfs and the arbitrary imposition of heavy taxes and harsh rules by the often-absent nobility. Catherine is not much remembered in popular history for her legal, political or visionary pronouncements. She is remembered for being Catherine the Great, which is to say that her life was full of drama. A German princess, she married the heir to the Russian throne. Later Czar Peter III, who contributed to a palace revolt that led to the deposition and eventual murder of Catherineís husband, elevated her to the throne. Intellectually curious, she embraced Europe and the Enlightenment, corresponded with Voltaire, and presided over one of the most prosperous if not turbulent periods in Russian history from 1762 to 1796. Like Marjorie Merriweather Post, Catherine was a great art collector. She also managed to acquire Voltaireís entire library after his death. She was not so enlightened, however, as to keep from being frightened by the French Revolution so badly that she began to dismantle many of her liberal reforms. It was during Catherineís reign that the Hermitage in St. Petersburg was built. She led educational reforms that included schools for both boys and girls. Also during her reign, the Russian borders expanded to the Black Sea, and she conducted two successful wars against the declining Turkish empire. In her lifetime, when rumor and scandal reigned supreme as they do today, she was somewhat notorious for a rather vigorous romantic life. Outrageous legends erupted during her life and after her death, most of which are fantasy. Despite many rumors to the contrary, Catherine died of a stroke at the age of 67. As a ruler, it was not so much that Catherine was great, but that during her time, Russia became a great European state and empire. Hillwood Musuem and Gardens, at 4155 Linnean Ave., NW, will continue its examination of Catherine the Great through June. Reservations are required. For more information, please call (202) 686-8500 or visit www.hillwoodmuseum.org. Gary Tischler is a contributing writer to The Washington Diplomat.