Chapter 4. Catherine the Great’s writings for children in transnational context

Abstract

When Russian Empress Catherine the Great (1729–1796) wrote allegorical fairy tales and educational materials for her grandsons, as well as an audience of Russian children, she actively partook in transnational traditions, finding inspiration and models in genres that fluidly crossed geographical boundaries in the eighteenth century. Comparing Catherine’s writings for children both nationally and transnationally with other mirrors for princes intended to guide young rulers, allegorical fairy tales in exotic settings, and broader enlightening projects of the time, reveals how her works hybridise different genres and transnational sources of inspiration to create something new and never seen before in Russia. At the same time, the example of Catherine’s writings also exemplifies how writings for a child become literature for children.