Russian Blue
It is believed to have originated from Archangel Isles in northern Russia, although this is not certain. Originally known as Archangel Blue or Foreign Blue, it is said to have been brought to England and Northern Europe by sailors in the 1860s. It was descended from an imperial cat of the Russian royal family and was said to have been a favorite of Queen Victoria, which is why it was introduced as the Archangel cat at the Crystal Palace in England in 1875. At the time of the Russian Blue's introduction, the prevalent cat in Europe was the chartreux, and because of their similar appearance, the Russian Blue was trained to behave like a Siamese and bred to conform to the British's appearance. This led to a gradual loss of distinctive characteristics, and later British breeders who wanted to keep the original Archangel cat alive tried to restore the Russian Blue's appearance. It was recognized as its own breed in 1912, and since then, British, American, and Scandinavian breeders have developed the pedigree and it began to gain popularity in the 1960s.