Catherine’s great collection of treasures

It is 250 years since the coup d’état which placed Catherine the Great on the throne of Russia.

And a major exhibition showing at the National Museum of Scotland tells her remarkable story.

In the greatest collection of Russian treasures ever seen in the UK, the exhibition presents spectacular objects from her collection.

Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress traces her story, from her upbringing as a German princess to usurping her own husband and taking control of the vast Russian empire.

She expanded those borders still further while pursuing social reform and amassing one of the world’s greatest art collections.

The exhibition begins with her early years as Sophie, a minor German princess, her ill-starred marriage to Peter and the coup d’état which saw her become Empress Catherine II of Russia.

A spectacular portrait of her Coronation, which has not been seen since the Russian Revolution, shows how she used art as a projection of power and wealth from the beginning of her reign.

By the time of Catherine’s death in 1796, Russia had become a true world power, with expanded borders, reformed church and state, hugely developed military and industrial capability and a glittering court that was the envy of Europe.

Arguably her greatest and most lasting legacy was her collection, which provided the foundation for what is now the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Among the examples on show are a sketch by Rubens for the Apotheosis of James I (which is in the Banqueting Hall at Whitehall), along with 17th century French paintings by Claude Lorrain, Sebastian Bourdon (whose Crucifixion hangs in Notre Dame) and Eustache Le Sueur, one of the founders of the French Academy, as well as sculpture, jewellery, porcelain and glassware from both Russia and Europe.

This unique exhibition shows over 600 priceless artefacts in total from the collections of the State Hermitage, along with insights from Catherine’s own memoirs and diaries and from contemporaries who visited her Court.

The exhibition also reveals a playful side to the formidable Empress, with her card table, gaming counters and house rules requiring visitors to her Hermitage to “leave their titles at the door”.

In addition to being a great fan of theatre, opera and gambling, Catherine was also devoted to hunting, and her own weapons are shown alongside the guns she had made for her grandchildren.

There were, famously, a number of significant men in Catherine’s life, and the exhibition explores some key relationships, including the Orlovs, who helped her secure the throne, and Potemkin, who led the expansion of the Russian empire to the south.

His amazing successes in the Turkish Wars saw Catherine surpass the achievements of even Peter the Great, and can be seen commemorated in paintings, sculptures, porcelain, medals and trophies.

As well as artworks, Catherine commissioned enlarged and redecorated several palaces and plans, drawings and watercolours of these are displayed, along with the story of architect Charles Cameron, the most prominent of a range of Scots engaged by Catherine.

Her physician, Dr John Rogerson, was also a Scot, as was Samuel Greig, who became a celebrated Admiral in the Turkish Wars.

Princess Dashkova, a confidant of Catherine who was present at the coup, lived in Edinburgh for several years while her son attended university.

• Catherine The Great: An Enlightened Empress is at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh until October 21.