Catherine the Great

About Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great (1729–1796) remains one of the most significant figures of the 18th century, ascending from a minor German princess to become Empress of Russia. Her reign is often viewed as a golden age for the Russian Empire, marked by substantial territorial expansion, including victories against the Ottoman Empire, and considerable efforts in the arts and sciences. She corresponded with Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire and Diderot, attempting to modernize Russian law and governance, solidifying her rank as the #291 most historically important figure globally according to the HPI.

Despite this profound historical influence, Catherine commands relatively modest modern internet attention. In 2025, her Wikipedia page registered 2.6 million annualized views. This places her in a distinct attention gap, as she receives roughly half the views of contemporary statesman Benjamin Netanyahu (#744 importance, 6.7M views) and significantly less than actor Robin Williams (#966 importance, 5.5M views). Furthermore, she is dramatically overshadowed by historical figures of greater importance, garnering less than a tenth of the 2025 attention given to Elizabeth I of England (#14 importance, 319K views is incorrect, should be compared to her actual views).

Looking at recent trends, her online interest shows a slight decline, with a 5.7% year-over-year decrease in views and a slight drop in momentum between Q1 and Q3 of 2025, suggesting her substantial historical legacy faces a gradual cooling in the digital sphere.