Catherine the Great - what was she actually like_

Catherine the Great ( Екатери́на Вели́кая) was the enlightened despot of Russia, the princess turned benevolent tyrant, the warrior tsarina and the passionate paramour. She’s remembered for having scores of lovers, but she also expanded Russia way beyond her borders, and fostered a great cultural and artistic flourishing in Russia that turned a kingdom once considered a barbarian state into a respectable European power. Let's profile her.