Catherine II and the french enlighteners: a look from abroad

The article presents an analysis of the views of foreign historians on relationship between Catherine II and the French enlighteners. Some of them indicate that the philosophers wanted to influence the legislative activity of Catherine II. Others believe that the Empress herself sought to transfer the ideas of the French Enlightenment in Russia, and she partially succeeded. There are also opinions according to which the inability to find worthy conversationalists at the court forced the Empress to look for them outside the country among the enlighteners. Scientists also suggest that the desire to get acquainted with the French progressives is caused by the vanity of Catherine II. Some foreign researchers are sure that the Russian Ruler used contacts with enlighteners to advertise her law-making activities abroad by broadcasting its main provisions through the personalities of philosophers in order to gain authority among Europeans and recognize Russia as an enlightened country. It is summarized that regardless of the reasons of emergence of the communication channel, it served the progressive development of education, medicine and other public spheres of Russia that time, laying the foundation for the necessary reforms in the future