The Great: 20 Things In The Show That Are Historically Accurate

Many wonder how much of The Great is true, as the Hulu original series detailing Catherine the Great’s rise to power often feels almost too bombastic to be taken from real life. The Great never claims to be 100% accurate, describing itself as an “occasionally” true story. However, many have difficulty differentiating between fact and fiction. The show put a unique spin on Catherine the Great’s life, adding many fictionalized elements or sensationalizing true events to such an extent that the level of historical accuracy in The Great is low — though it’s not absent.

The Great gets a surprising amount of historical details correct, despite never placing the truth above the chance to tell an interesting story. Many of the broad strokes of Catherine the Great’s life and reign were taken from historical accounts, meaning a great deal of what The Great showed did actually happen, although often not in the same way. While the black comedy-drama series is quite open with its fantastical artistic interpretations of Russian historical events and characters, several aspects of The Great are grounded in real historical facts.

20 Peter & Catherine’s Marriage

Peter & Catherine Were Married For 17 Years Before He Became Emperor

The biggest part of the story in The Great is Catherine finding her place in the government as she enters into a marriage to Peter III. The marriage of Peter and Catherine is accurate in the real-life history of the story, although much of what happened chronologically during their marriage was altered. The couple married in real life on August 21, 1745. However, they were actually in different places in life when they got married than they were on the show.

Peter was already the Emperor when they got married on The Great. This was not the case in real life. In actuality, Peter III did not become the Emperor until the death of his aunt Elizabeth. This event was actually 17 years after he married Catherine. This gave them many years together before he took leadership, which didn’t work with the storyline of the TV series. Instead, she married him and was thrown into a life in the government, which caused a lot more stress and drama.

19 Catherine’s Mismatched Marriage With Peter III

Catherine Was Only A Teenager When She Married Peter

While the timing of the marriage was all wrong in The Great, the Hulu series did get the entire mismatched marriage accurate regarding their relationship. There were a couple of changes, with one of the biggest being Catherine’s age. Known as Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, her mother arranged for the girl to marry Peter III, her second cousin. However, when she arrived in Russia, she was only 16. The TV series changed that age to 19, likely to avoid obvious problems with the age gap.

Despite the changing of the age, the entire mess of a marriage was because of the age difference in conjunction with the different philosophies they grew up with. She learned Russian and converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. She even changed her name from Sophie to the Russian name Ekaterina Alekseyevna, which was anglicized to Catherine. With all these changes and her young age when the marriage began, the unhappy marriage that played out on The Great was a given.

18 Peter III Was Known To Have Violent Tendencies & Public Meltdowns

Peter III Struggled With His Composure

Peter III struggled with his mental composure in real life, much as he did in the series. While The Great had him deal with alcoholism, he also had anger issues that arose whether he was drinking or not. There was one difference between Peter III and how Nicholas Hoult portrayed him, though. In the show, he was a massive nationalist who was a devotee of all things Russian. In real life, however, Peter III hated anything Russian. He refused to speak Russian or eat Russian food.

However, The Great did get his arrogance and bad attitude right. Peter III was a narcissist, and he loved to live a high life. He also had a huge temper that saw him willing to kill anyone — animals or people — and felt no remorse for his actions. According to the memoirs written by Catherine the Great, she described Peter III as an “insufferable, childish brute and a drunkard,” just as he is depicted in the Hulu TV series (via JSTOR Daily).

17 The Russian Court Was Full Of Affairs

Peter III Really Did Have Lovers On The Side

The Great took great pains to show the lack of loyalty in the marriage of Peter III and Catherine the Great. Just as was the case with many royal families in history, there were lovers on the side for both Peter and Catherine. The show deals with many of these affairs, and they are all realistic when it comes to the couple at the center of this story. On the show, Peter, his best friend Grigor (Gwilym Lee), and Grigor’s wife Georgina (Charity Wakefield) is the big relationship playing out in the series.

These affairs were caused thanks to the dissatisfaction in the marriage between Catherine and Peter III. They were never really happy together, an arranged marriage that neither of them wanted after it started. While Catherine’s lover, Leo, is fictional and created for The Great, she did have several lovers in real life. Peter III also cheated on her often, and there are many thoughts that their children were not even Peter’s in the end.

16 Catherine The Great Invented The Roller Coaster

The Season 2 Event Was Based On Real Life

There are some moments in The Great that seem like they had to be fictional. However, one of the storylines in season 2 that turned out to be true was the roller coaster scene. The origins of roller coasters go back to the 18th century, and Catherine the Great had something to do with it. In the season 2 episode “Stapler,” Catherine put the rollers on roller coasters. This changed everything about roller coasters at that time in history.

Before Catherine ordered the wheels added to the roller coasters, these actually used sleds and went down giant ice ramps. When Catherine demanded wheels be added and sent down grooved tracks, it meant the roller coasters could be built in places outside of icy Russia. Catherine even added a roller coaster at her summer palace in 1784 (via Wired). This led to the French making even more improvements 30 years later, but it all started with Catherine the Great, as The Great showed.

15 Peter III Struggled With Alcoholism

Nicolas Hoult’s The Great Character Was Also Very Neurotic

One surprisingly historically accurate element of The Great has to do with Peter’s excessive alcohol consumption. Audiences watching The Great are aware that Peter III is constantly seen with a glass in hand and often in attendance at some wild parties. This added to his unpredictable and boisterous personality in the show while also giving Hoult another avenue to explore the character’s funnier moments.

This was historically accurate, as the real Peter III struggled with alcoholism, and this show helps depict this side of him very well. In fact, this is a problem that plagued many Russian tsars throughout history to the point where they would encourage drinking among those around them, He is also described in historical texts as being quite neurotic, which the show also portrays as he has an affinity for killing rather than seeking out the truth.

14 Catherine The Great Was Well-Read

Catherine Even Taught Others How To Read

At the time of her reign, most women weren’t allowed to be well-educated, something that was considered unnecessary (and even unattractive in women) and which allowed men to claim superiority over them. However, Catherine the Great was a well-read woman as she enjoyed various texts throughout her life, especially ones that would guide her as a future empress. This is depicted in The Great, as she is always seen with a book in hand and even helps teach a young serf how to read.

It also speaks of her intelligence and likability as one of The Great‘s best characters, as much of what she read helped her create plans and ideals that she would one day instill in Russia. It is also a sign of how she was unwilling to limit herself to the conventions of the day.

13 Ivan VI Was Really Killed

The Great Only Changed The Circumstances

Something else that The Great gets right is Ivan the VI’s death. However, he didn’t quite die in the same way as The Great shows in season 3. Audiences first met Ivan VI when rumors circulated in the show that Peter III’s half-brother was still alive and could stake a claim to the throne. He was killed during the coup that put Catherine the Great into power, but not in the way that the show depicts.

In reality, Ivan VI was in his 20s when those against Catherine’s rule attempted to break him out of the prison he was being kept in for the majority of his life. However, with Catherine the Great taking power, the order was given out that Ivan was to be immediately murdered if there was any attempt to help him escape. Though it was several of the guards who staged the attempted breakout, they could not free him before those orders were carried out.

12 Catherine The Great Wanted To End Serfdom

The Real Catherine Actually Strengthened The System In The End

Catherine the Great’s reign caused some serious upheaval, especially with some of the bigger changes she looked to make. When Peter III fell ill, Catherine the Great had her first taste of power. With this newfound position and authority, she mentions her desire to end serfdom, freeing many of the so-called peasants from their debts and lives of indentured servitude. The council laughs at her and explains the economic consequences it would have on their society.

This relates to the real ruler as she desired to end this practice, but in the end, it wasn’t a practical goal. She needed the support of the nobles who owned them to stay in power and ending a practice that benefited them so much was not a political move that she was willing to make. She eventually even strengthened the system that she originally sought to destroy.

11 The Real Catherine The Great Loved European Philosophy

Catherine Read Books By Philosophers In The Age Of Enlightenment

It was already mentioned how Catherine the Great loved to read, but many of her choices focused on the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. This was another way Catherine was able to stand out among the characters in The Great. Where many of them were concerned with appearing like they knew everything, Catherine sought to expand her way of thinking and look at things in a new way.

This is another historical accuracy that The Great offers to audiences, as European philosophy played a huge part in her reign.The Great had her even meeting one of her favorites — the French writer and philosopher Voltaire — and she often mentions several others throughout the series. It is also historically accurate that these European philosophers helped to shape the reforms that she attempted to implement in Russia.

10 Peter III Wanted To Be A Great Military Leader

The Real Peter Sought Glory In Battle

Peter III did some truly terrible things in The Great which were largely caused by his fragile and childish ego. He’s also depicted as someone who’s yearning for any sort of military win and accomplishment, which is exactly how he was during his life as well. It is another way the character comes off as a pathetic and desperate villain with Hoult leaning into the most detestable aspects of the character. The show even has Peter III taking medals from Velementov to make himself look more successful than he is in this endeavor.

One of the biggest historical accuracies in The Great is Peter’s ambition to become a military hero. He wanted to be a military legend who won battles and had numerous victories that proved his worth as emperor. In contrast to Catherine’s expansive learning, his reading was known for focusing exclusively on military subjects.

9 Catherine The Great Gained The Support Of The Military & Nobility

The Real Catherine Had An Affair With An Officer To Help Her Rise To Power

A major part of the coup that Catherine the Great planned throughout The Great involved her obtaining the support of various groups. Integral to her seizing power were the military and nobility, which is historically accurate to the real Catherine. It was also another way of Catherine proving herself to be the more impressive leader compared to Peter. While he envisioned himself as the ultimate military leader, it was a very satisfying affront to him that she was the one who gained military support.

The real empress made sure to secure the military by having an affair with one of the officers who ensured her ascension was secure. She also had the nobility already under her control, as she had already been married to Peter III for years before he became emperor, although he was forced out in just six short months.

8 Catherine The Great Had A Lover

The Real Catherine The Great Courted Several Men

Leo Voronsky features in The Great as Catherine’s lover, but the truth is that she had several throughout her lifetime. In the series, Leo is hired by Peter himself to be Catherine’s lover. There is a strong bond between them with his good-natured personality being what Catherine needs in this world. However, their relationship ends in tragedy when Peter has Leo killed in order to demonstrate his power to Catherine.

Leo himself did not exist, but history does tell that she had at least three different lovers, making this part of the story historically accurate. It could be said that Leo in The Great is just a composite of these suitors rather than any specific man. One notable romance was with a military officer during the time of her coup, Gregory Orlov, who is the most prominent in her historical love life.

7 Catherine The Great’s Heir Was Named Paul

Paul Went On To Become Emperor

The final episode of The Great season 1 shows a pregnant Catherine the Great, and she mentions to Peter III how she will name her son Paul. Catherine the Great ended up having three children over her lifetime, but one of the historical accuracies in The Great was the name of her true-born heir.

Paul was born in 1754 and was crowned as prince in 1762 following the death of Empress Elizabeth. The mother and son developed a fierce rivalry for the throne following the death of Peter II with Paul believing he was the rightful heir. Paul eventually became the emperor following Catherine the Great’s reign, taking the throne at the age of 42. It ended up being a relatively short reign for the new ruler as he was assassinated at the age of 46.

6 The Coup Had Peter Abdicating His Throne

The True Story Of The Great Was Slightly Different, But The Result Was The Same

The entire focus of The Great is Peter III’s fall from grace as he is forced to abdicate his throne and have his wife Catherine rule in his stead. With Peter being such an unlikeable villain in the series, it was a storyline that proved compelling and satisfying as Peter witnessed all his power slip away and fall into the hands of his wife. The Great saw a successful coup in season 1, resulting in Peter III stepping down.

The real Peter III was forced from his position as he abdicated his throne, which is exactly what Catherine the Great suggested he do at the end of The Great’s season 1 finale. The coup itself didn’t quite play out the same way in real life, with Peter attempting to make an escape and his arrest being delayed by a full day, but the result was the same.

5 Pugachev’s Rebellion Really Happened

However, He Was Not Peter III’s Double

Nicholas Hoult’s Emmy-nominated work on The Great goes beyond just his performance as Peter III. He also plays Pugachev, one of Peter’s doubles who becomes his go-to solution for being able to move freely after being dethroned by Catherine. While the real Pugachev wasn’t a double for Peter III, disguising himself as Peter III and inciting the rebellion depicted toward the end of The Great season 3 did actually happen.

However, the real Yemelyan Pugachev never served Peter III and was a soldier in the Seven Years’ War. After being imprisoned for desertion he managed to escape and appeared east of the Volga River. Claiming to be Peter III, Pugachev declared serfdom was abolished and gained a following in planning to upend Catherine’s reign. During his siege on Orenburg, Catherine sent an army, and he was subsequently defeated.

4 Catherine The Great Was A Target Of Gossip

The Rumors Were Based In Historic Misogyny

One aspect of The Great that is very historically accurate is the misogynistic narrative that undermines Catherine’s leadership. Though Catherine is a strong and barrier-pushing character whose fearlessness is strengthened by Elle Fanning’s performance, she does have to contend with vile attacks from those who are uncomfortable with a woman in a seat of power.

Much like in the series, Catherine the Great was the subject of constant gossip and lies, some of them ranging from believable to far-fetched, like the rumor that she died by trying to have sex with a horse. Since being a woman in power was so unheard of at the time, rumors ran rampant about her personal life and sexual exploits. It was so prevalent that Catherine the Great decided to write a series of memoirs to posthumously dispel the falsehoods surrounding her legacy.

3 Peter III Really Died After Catherine Took Over

However, Peter III’s Death Was Very Different In Real Life

Peter III’s death in The Great season 3 was a shock — but not for those who know history. While the means and method of his death in The Great diverged greatly from history, Peter III did pass away shortly after Catherine took the throne and before Pugachev’s Rebellion. In the series, Peter III drowns while trying to cross a frozen lake. In real life, Peter III was arrested after his abdication. It is a fitting end for the character, robbing him of much of the dignity he attempted to hold onto so fiercely.

In reality, Peter’s death was not as dramatic and more of a drawn-out event due to illness. While in custody with one of Catherine’s conspirators, Peter III died of an apoplectic stroke, although it’s possible this was a cover story for his assassination.

2 Catherine The Great Was Passionate About Women’s Education

Catherine Established The Smolny Institute For Daughters Of Noble Birth

Early on in The Great, Catherine approaches the royal court with numerous ideas for educational reform, including building a school that would educate women — a plan Peter III shuts down. While this storyline was beginning to evolve in the series, it will sadly remain one of the many unresolved stories following The Great‘s cancelation. However, there is a lot of historical context to explore on these educational efforts by Catherine.

While the incident itself may not have happened, Catherine the Great’s passion for educating women is historically accurate. In 1764, Catherine the Great established the Smolny Institute for daughters of noble birth in St. Petersberg, which was the first educational institution for women in Russia. Catherine the Great was largely responsible for the Westernization of Russia, and education reform was one of her biggest pillars.

1 Catherine Launched Inoculation In Russia

The Real Catherine The Great Believed In Science

In season 1 of The Great, the royal court experiences a smallpox outbreak and Catherine hears about a treatment called inoculation. She inoculates herself in front of the royal court, only to have Peter III ban inoculation shortly thereafter. It is seen as one of her most heroic moments, defying the fears of the time and helping to encourage those of the nation to take a more proactive approach to their well-being.

In reality, Catherine was a lover of science and was particularly impressed with the work of the British-based Dr. Thomas Dimsdale, who was working on a smallpox vaccine. She had Dimsdale travel to Russia to give both her and Paul the vaccine. This caused a domino effect, and according to Robert K. Massie’s Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by 1800 over 2 million Russians had been vaccinated.