The city [of St. Petersburg] Catherine the Great arrived in at 14, as a prospective bride of Russia’s Crown Prince, is a particularly enticing setting for a historical novel that is trying to capture the development of imperial Russia. It was a city in the making, vibrant and full of pent-up energy. It wanted to prove its worth, stand its ground against more established and traditional Russian cities. It was ideal for newcomers of all classes, for it offered means of advancement and opportunities difficult to come by in other, more traditional parts of Russia. It was the center of power and intrigue and it carried in it the seeds of what Russia was and would become, an autocratic empire, a powerhouse of Europe which would, in the future, defeat Napoleon and Hitler – and determine the history of this part of the globe. *** Polish-Canadian historical novelist Eva Stachniak at writinghistoricalnovels/2013/07/12/on-st-petersburg-and-catherine-the-great-by-eva-stachniak.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 13:39:02 +0000
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