ABSTRACT
The first and most important work Catherine wrote was the Great Instruction for the Legislative Commission of 1767, which was translated into many languages and often reprinted in Russian. The Antidote refutes every malicious allegation by Chappe with a genuine nationalist fervour and pride in the Russian national character and achievements, including even the merits of Russian literature. The Antidote does not add to Catherine's literary reputation, and in any case her authorship was not known in her lifetime. Catherine's venture into journalism belongs to the field where literature adjoins politics. She was directly instrumental in encouraging a new form of literary activity, namely the satirical weekly, when, in 1769, Vsyakaya Vsyachina was launched anonymously. Catherine not only contributed to the diffusion of the classics, both modern and ancient, and of European literature in Russian translation. She also extensively patronized original works in Russian by dramatists, poets and historians.
