Performing History. Catherine’s II Historical Dramas.

The article investigates Catherine II’s historical dramas, a subject which has been neglected by both literary critics and historians. While it is known that the empress rewrote textual materials from Shakespeare and old Russian chronicles, drafting her dramas on three of the most eminent sovereigns of old Rus’, the initial authorial aim has been little considered. The article delves deep into the composition of Catherine II’s dramas. It also deals with the political use the empress did of the theatrical medium, showing from the stage her viewpoint on national history and the sovereign’s power.