Post-Soviet historiography about the relationship between Catherine II and the French enlighteners

The study scrutinizes the views of post-Soviet historians on the relationship between Catherine II and the French enlighteners. The most characteristic and common views are identified. It is deemed that the researches of the post-soviet period had confirmed the views of the pre-revolutionary and soviet historians on the motivation of these relationships. On the part of the Empress, this is the fear of nascent public opinion; revenge on the French court; hypocrisy, a game; illusions of Catherine II; the desire to communicate with intelligent people. On the part of the French enlighteners: political illusions; interest in Russia; fear of revolution “from below”. Nevertheless, the historians of the post-Soviet period, apart to the above, had tried to explain these relationships by the Empress’s desire to find equal interlocutors for herself, since it was difficult for her to do this among her entourage in Russia. In their opinion, the desire for simple human communication encouraged Catherine II to seek correspondence partners in the society of French enlighteners.