The Great Epoch of Catherine P. The time of appearance on the historical stage of such figures as Lomonosov, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Razumovsky, Betskoy, Potemkin, Stroganov. But none of them could have been truly useful to Russia if these people had not been valued and encouraged by Empress Catherine. Perhaps this was precisely her main talent - to choose capable people and provide them with a field for activity. However, despite all her intelligence, Catherine cannot be compared with King Solomon on the throne: when she interfered in the fate of her subjects, especially in matters of the heart, she sometimes did not behave too wisely. This is exactly how Catherine the Great appears on the pages of the stories that make up this collection - stories about outstanding people of Catherine's century and their relationships with the ruler, who is often just a woman.