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Catherine II: Uniform Dresses and Regional Uniforms

Ivleva, Viktoria

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Abstract

Soon after the coup d’état of 1762, which brought Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, to power, Vigilius Erichsen painted the equestrian portrait of the Empress in the Life Guards’ uniform. Catherine wore this uniform during the coup that dethroned her husband, Peter III. This article analyses this episode of cross-dressing in the context of Catherine's legitimation narrative. It further examines the uniform dresses that she wore for various regimental occasions. The dresses combined elements of traditional Russian garments and European fashion. The final section of the article studies the regional uniforms that Catherine II introduced for nobles, civil servants and their wives as part of her regional reforms after Pugachev's rebellion (1773–1775). I discuss these uniforms in the context of a revival of interest in the regions and local civil service, and in the context of national and transnational processes in Europe in the late eighteenth century.

Citation

Ivleva, V. (2019). Catherine II: Uniform Dresses and Regional Uniforms. Costume, 53(2), 207-230. https://doi.org/10.3366/cost.2019.0121

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Sep 30, 2019
Publication Date Sep 30, 2019
Deposit Date Jun 7, 2019
Publicly Available Date Sep 26, 2019
Journal Costume
Print ISSN 0590-8876
Electronic ISSN 1749-6306
Publisher Edinburgh University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 53
Issue 2
Pages 207-230
DOI https://doi.org/10.3366/cost.2019.0121

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