Alexander I of Russia His wife died a few months later as the emperor's body was transported to Saint Petersburg for the funeral. He was interred at the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg on 13 March 1826. Alexander's supposed non-death is as controversial as his life. There were many rumors and legends of which the most often told claimed he became a Siberian Hermit named Feodor Kuzmich. Historians reject the legends, but popular writers resurrect them often. Attribution: Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, Aleksandr Pavlovich; – ) reigned as Emperor of Russia between
Catherine the Great Catherine the Great Catherine II (Russian: Екатерина Алексеевна "Yekaterina Alekseyevna"; – ), also known as Catherine the Great (, "Yekaterina Velikaya"), born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, was Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796, the country's longest-ruling female leader. She came to power following a "coup d'état" when her husband, Peter III, was overthrown. Under her reign, Russia was revitalized; it grew larger and stronger, and was recognised as one of the great powers of Europe. In her accession to power and her rule of the empire, Catherine often relied on her noble favourites, most notably Grigory Orlov and Grigory