It is about time Catherine the Great got her TV moment. Catherine took the throne in 1762 at 33 and held it until her death in 1796, making her the longest-running woman to rule the country . Catherine is mostly remembered for what could only be described as an unconventional rise to power — she had her husband arrested, and he was subsequently murdered. She was, however, also a complicated and savvy ruler. Born in Prussia, she brought Western culture, arts, and the political philosophy of the Enlightenment to Russia, leaving a long-standing cultural legacy. Her reign is known as the Cathernian era and is considered the golden age of Russian cultural development.