(1725 – 1727)
After the death of Peter the Great, two parties were formed.
Grandees from the old boyar surnames wished to elevate the grandson of Peter the Great, the 10-year-old Tsarevich Peter, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, to the throne. But the Russian people, exalted with personal merit, were on the side of Catherine.
Catherine’s supporters gained the upper hand, and in 1725 Catherine was proclaimed empress.
The first person with her was Prince Menshikov.
Catherine’s orders are remarkable:
Establishment of the Supreme Privy Council, which was responsible for all major state affairs. At the same time, the Senate lost its primacy.
In 1726 the Academy of Sciences was opened and a new order of St. Alexander Nevsky was established.
On the basis of the decree of Peter the Great, she bequeathed the throne to the 12-year-old Peter Alekseevich.
Her reign lasted two years. May 6, 1727 Catherine died.