Notes of the Princess

Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, born Vorontsova (1743-1810), is one of the most famous Russian women of the 18th century. A friend of Catherine the Great, head of two academies, the princess left a vivid mark in both culture and politics. She participated in the palace coup in favor of her royal friend, traveled extensively through Western Europe, and made acquaintances with the prominent minds of her time – Denis Diderot, Benjamin Franklin, Adam Smith. Finally, she wrote her memoirs – the famous "Notes." In the "Notes," there are valuable insights about the reign of Peter III, the accession of Catherine II and Dashkova's role in the coup, the full intrigues of court life, details of the ten-year wandering of the princess through Europe, sketches of Moscow life in the mid-18th century, and characteristics of notable Russian and European figures whom fate brought to the author of the memoirs.