The Great
Many wonder how much ofThe Greatis genuine , as the Hulu original series detailing Catherine the Great ’s rise to power often feels almost too declamatory to be rent from real life . The Greatnever claim to be 100 % precise , describing itself as an " occasionally " rightful story . However , many have difficulty mark between fact and fabrication . The show put a unparalleled twist on Catherine the Great ’s life , adding many fictionalized constituent or sensationalizing true events to such an extent that the level of historical accuracy inThe Greatis low — though it ’s not absentminded .
The Greatgets a surprising amount of historical details correct , despite never place the truth above the chance to evidence an interesting tarradiddle . Many of the broad fortuity of Catherine the Great ’s life and reign were study from historical report , meaning a great deal of whatThe Greatshowed did actually pass , although often not in the same way . While the black comedy - play serial publication is quite loose with its grotesque artistic interpretations of Russian historical effect and characters , several aspects ofThe Greatare anchor in real diachronic facts .
20Peter & Catherine’s Marriage
Peter & Catherine Were Married For 17 Years Before He Became Emperor
The biggest part of the tarradiddle inThe Greatis Catherine finding her place in the politics as she enter into a married couple to Peter III.The marriage of Peter and Catherine is accurate in the substantial - life historyof the chronicle , although much of what pass off chronologically during their marriage was castrate . The duet married in real liveliness on August 21 , 1745 . However , they were actually in different position in biography when they got marry than they were on the show .
Peter was already the Emperor when they got marry onThe Great . This was not the case in actual life . In actuality , Peter III did not become the Emperor until the dying of his aunt Elizabeth . This consequence was actually 17 years after he married Catherine . This gave them many old age together before he take leaders , which did n’t work with the storyline of the TV serial publication . rather , she married him and was thrown into a life in the government , which caused a destiny more stress and drama .
19Catherine’s Mismatched Marriage With Peter III
Catherine Was Only A Teenager When She Married Peter
While the timing of the marriage was all wrong inThe Great , the Hulu serial did get the entire mismatched marriage exact regarding their human relationship . There were a couple of changes , with one of the biggest being Catherine ’s eld . Known as Sophie of Anhalt - Zerbst , her female parent arranged for the girl to marry Peter III , her 2nd full cousin . However , when she arrive in Russia , she was only 16 . The television set series change that historic period to 19 , probable to avoid obvious trouble with the age crack .
She even changed her name from Sophie to the Russian name Ekaterina Alekseyevna .
Despite the changing of the old age , the entire mess of a union was because of the age difference in conjunction with the dissimilar philosophy they develop up with . She learned Russian and converted to Eastern Orthodoxy . She even transfer her name from Sophie to the Russian name Ekaterina Alekseyevna , which was anglicized to Catherine . With all these changes and her immature age when the marriage began , the infelicitous marriage that played out onThe Greatwas a give .
18Peter III Was Known To Have Violent Tendencies & Public Meltdowns
Peter III Struggled With His Composure
Peter III struggled with his mental composure in literal life , much as he did in the serial . WhileThe Greathad him deal with alcoholism , he also had anger return that arose whether he was imbibe or not . There was one difference between Peter III and how Nicholas Hoult portrayed him , though . In the show , he was a monolithic nationalist who was a fan of all things Russian . In real life , however , Peter III hat anything Russian . He refuse to speak Russian or rust Russian food .
However , The Greatdid get his arrogance and bad posture right . Peter III was a narcissist , and he loved to live a high life . He also had a huge pique that saw him willing to shoot down anyone — animals or mass — and feel no compunction for his natural process . According to the memoirs written by Catherine the Great , she described Peter III as an " insufferable , childish beast and a drunkard , " just as he is depicted in the Hulu TV series ( viaJSTOR Daily ) .
17The Russian Court Was Full Of Affairs
Peter III Really Did Have Lovers On The Side
The Greattook cracking nisus to show the lack of loyalty in the marriage of Peter III and Catherine the Great . Just as was the event with many royal family in history , there were lovers on the side for both Peter and Catherine . The show deal with many of these affairs , and they are all naturalistic when it comes to the couplet at the center of this story . On the show , Peter , his best friend Grigor ( Gwilym Lee ) , and Grigor ’s married woman Georgina ( Charity Wakefield ) is the boastful relationship play out in the series .
While Catherine ’s lover , Leo , is fabricated and created forThe Great , she did have several lovers in real living .
These personal matters were caused thanks to the dissatisfaction in the spousal relationship between Catherine and Peter III . They were never really well-chosen together , an arranged marriage that neither of them wanted after it started . While Catherine ’s lover , Leo , is fictional and created forThe Great , she did have several buff in real life . Peter III also cheat on on her often , and there are many thought that their children were not even Peter ’s in the end .
Custom Image by SR Editor
16Catherine The Great Invented The Roller Coaster
The Season 2 Event Was Based On Real Life
There are some bit inThe Greatthat seem like they had to be fictional . However , one of the storylines in season 2 that turned out to be true was the roller coaster scene . The inception of tumbler pigeon coasters go back to the eighteenth century , and Catherine the Great had something to do with it . In the season 2 episode " Stapler , " Catherine put the rollers on roller coasters . This commute everything about roller coasters at that metre in account .
Before Catherine ordered the bike added to the crimper coaster , these actually used sled and went down jumbo crank ramps . When Catherine demanded wheels be added and sent down grooved tracks , it mean the roll coasters could be built in places outside of frozen Russia . Catherine even added a roller coaster at her summer palace in 1784 ( viaWired ) . This led to the French making even more improvements 30 years afterward , but it all started with Catherine the Great , asThe Greatshowed .
15Peter III Struggled With Alcoholism
Nicolas Hoult’s The Great Character Was Also Very Neurotic
One surprisingly historically exact element ofThe Greathas to do with Peter ’s overweening alcohol pulmonary tuberculosis . audience watchingThe Greatare aware that Peter III is perpetually pick up with a glass in deal and often in attending at some wild parties . This added to his unpredictable and boisterous personality in the show while also give Hoult another avenue to explore the character reference ’s singular moments .
This was historically exact , asthe veridical Peter III clamber with drunkenness , and this show helps render this side of him very well . In fact , this is a problem that chevy many Russian tsars throughout history to the point where they would boost drinking among those around them , He is also described in diachronic textual matter as being quite psychoneurotic , which the show also portrays as he has an affinity for killing rather than seeking out the verity .
14Catherine The Great Was Well-Read
Catherine Even Taught Others How To Read
At the time of her sovereignty , most women were n’t allowed to be well - educated , something that was view unnecessary ( and even unattractive in women ) and which permit men to take superiority over them . However , Catherine the Great was a well - read womanas she love various texts throughout her life story , especially ones that would point her as a future empress . This is describe inThe Great , as she is always seen with a al-Qur’an in paw and even helps teach a immature serf how to say .
The Great says that it is “ an on occasion true story , ” but what does that mean ? Here ’s which component of The Great season 2 are historically accurate .
It also talk ofher intelligence and likability as one ofThe Great ’s best characters , as much of what she learn avail her create plans and nonsuch that she would one day instill in Russia . It is also a sign of how she was unwilling to limit herself to the conventions of the day .
13Ivan VI Was Really Killed
The Great Only Changed The Circumstances
Something else thatThe Greatgets right is Ivan the VI ’s expiry . However , he did n’t quite go bad in the same way of life asThe Greatshows in season 3 . audience first meet Ivan VI when rumors mobilise in the show that Peter III ’s half - brother was still alive and could stake a claim to the stool . He was kill during the putsch that put Catherine the Great into power , but not in the way that the show describe .
In reality , Ivan VI was in his 20s when those against Catherine ’s rule undertake to break him out of the prison he was being keep in for the majority of his life . However , with Catherine the Great taking power , the order was given out that Ivan was to be immediately murdered if there was any endeavor to help him escape . Though it was several of the guards who staged the undertake breakout , they could not absolve him before those Holy Order were carried out .
12Catherine The Great Wanted To End Serfdom
The Real Catherine Actually Strengthened The System In The End
Catherine the Great ’s reign caused some serious upheaval , especially with some of the bigger changes she looked to make . When Peter III fell ill , Catherine the Great had her first preference of index . With this newfound position and authority , she name her desire to end serfhood , freeing many of the so - called bucolic from their debts and lives of bound servitude . The council laugh at her and explains the economical consequences it would have on their society .
This associate to the real ruler as she hope to end this practice , but in the death , it was n’t a practical destination . She need the bread and butter of the Lord who own them to remain in big businessman and finish a praxis that do good them so much was not a political move that she was willing to make . She finally even strengthened the scheme that she originally essay to destroy .
11The Real Catherine The Great Loved European Philosophy
Catherine Read Books By Philosophers In The Age Of Enlightenment
It was already mentioned how Catherine the Great loved to register , but many of her choicesfocused on the philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment . This was another way Catherine was able to stand up out amongthe characters inThe Great . Where many of them were concern with appear like they get it on everything , Catherine seek to flourish her means of thinking and look at thing in a new way .
The Greathad her even assemble one of her favorites — the French author and philosopher Voltaire — and she often mentions several others throughout the series .
This is another historical truth thatThe Greatoffers to interview , asEuropean philosophy take on a huge part in her sovereignty . The Greathad her even meeting one of her favorite — the Gallic author and philosopher Voltaire — and she often mentions several others throughout the series . It is also historically accurate that these European philosophers help to shape the reforms that she seek to implement in Russia .
