Legacy of Power: Catherine the Great

When Penguin Random House asked me to narrate the audiobook of The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great, I was delighted with the opportunity to step into the pages of such a powerful story, find voices for the 78 characters portrayed in the novel. And then I realized that its author, Eva Stachniak, like me, is an immigrant from Poland!

Eva, what drew you to immerse yourself in the life of one of history’s most remarkable women?

Catherine the Great was a strong, independent woman who triumphed in spite of overwhelming odds. When she arrived at the Russian court, she was an impoverished German princess without family connections, an immigrant who had to re-write herself in order to survive. Twenty years later she mounted enough support to overthrow her inept husband and become the best empress Russia has ever had.

I found her story irresistible.

You were born and raised in Poland, but have adopted English as your literary tongue. Joseph Conrad comes to mind. This is a huge achievement for a female immigrant author.

English has been my professional language long before I emigrated from Poland. In Canada, I discovered that immigration encourages profound transformations. For me, it meant switching from academic writing to fiction, encouraged by the question every newcomer is asked: “Where are you from?” The answers—I’m from Poland, Eastern Europe, lands with complex and fascinating history—inspired all my novels.

What was it about Catherine the Great that allowed her to become the most powerful woman of her times?

She was a brilliant politician and an outsider at the Russian court. She knew the wisdom of undermining what cannot be changed, of praising loudly and chastising behind closed doors. She may have been an absolute monarch, but knew that she had to motivate those she led, be the last to speak if she wanted to hear her courtiers’ opinions, not echoes of her own. And she took the trouble to thank those who served her…

After Winter Palace, you went on to write another book about Catherine called Empress of the Night. What led you to continue the story?

I wanted to explore it from another angle. The Winter Palace showed Catherine the Great from the point of view of a palace spy, Catherine’s confidante watches a German princess become a Russian empress. Empress of the Night: A Novel of Catherine the Great takes Catherine’s perspective, tells the story of a woman who wrestles with the pitfalls and temptations of absolute power.

What kind of legacy did she want to leave behind?

A powerful and prosperous Russia. As an enlightened monarch, she also wanted to expand the rule of reason. For her it meant education—of both men and women--and promoting of religious tolerance. I find it particularly sad that her son and heir ruled on the principle “what my mother loved, I shall hate and destroy,” with tragic consequences.

What would Catherine say to the girls who would like to be political leaders?

That it will be harder for them than it is for men, will take double time and effort, but once it’s achieved, the world might become a better place.