Catherine MichvechWorld CulturePeriod 916 March 2014Catherine the GreatCatherine the Great was the eldest daughter of an impoverished Prussian prince. Surprisingly, Catherine's name wasn't actually Catherine. She was born in 1729 into her family as Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst. Sophie had a younger brother, Wilhem Christain, with whom her mother spent all her time and who gave Sophie little interest. When her younger brother died at the age of twelve, Sophie thought the only way to escape her mother's control was to get married. In 1744, at just fifteen years old, Sophie was invited to Russia by Tsarina Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. Tsarina Elizabeth chose her nephew Peter as his heir and Peter was looking for a future wife. Sophie had an immediate impact on Tsarina Elizabeth's life. Sophie and Peter married on 21 August 1745 while Sophie was sixteen. Sophie was a new convert to Orthodox Christianity who now goes by the name Ekaterina, or Catherine. During Catherine's young life, she received her education by being educated by tutors. Cath...