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1699: Lover. Murderer. Mother. Meet TSARINA, the most powerful woman history ever forgot.
Tsarina
What you need to know before your trail
Spring 1699: Illegitimate, destitute and strikingly beautiful, Marta has survived the brutal Russian winter in her remote Baltic village. Sold by her family into household labour at the age of fifteen, Marta survives by committing a crime that will force her to go on the run.
A world away, Russia’s young ruler, Tsar Peter I has a vision for transforming the traditionalist Tsardom of Russia into a modern, Western empire. Countless lives will be lost in the process.
Falling prey to the Great Northern War, Marta cheats death at every turn, finding work as a washerwoman at a battle camp. One night at a celebration, she encounters Peter the Great. Fuelled by ambition, Marta will become Catherine I of Russia. But her rise to the top is ridden with peril; how long will she survive the machinations of Peter’s court, and more importantly, Peter himself?
Travel Guide
Map of Tsarist Russia from the book
Tsarina is a fictionalized account of the life of Catherine I of Russia. It tells the story of how Catherine rose from rather humble peasant origins when she grew up in a small Baltic town and then went on to become the second wife of Peter the Great. When he died, she became the sole ruler of Russia.
The map is taken from the novel as the country borders and landscapes are so different now and this graphic brilliantly illustrates the complex situation that existed at the time.
The setting and way of life at that time are very well evoked -everything from the filth, violence, and crudeness of life in a small Baltic village. When you get to the glamour of the Russian court , life didn’t really get any better. Things might have been cleaner but the morals were still as low and dirty.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Tsarina
Destination/location: Russia Author/guide: Ellen Apsten Departure Time: 1699
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