Czarina Ekaterina III

Ekaterina Vasilevna Romanova [Екатерина Васильевна Романова], also known by her nickname Katya [Катя], is the incumbent Czarina (Empress) and Autocrat of All Russia. She ascended the throne in 2018 at the age of 17 after the sudden loss of both parents in a road accident.

Early Life

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Vasilevna Romanova was born on December 16, 2001 in Saint Petersburg, the only child of Czar Vasily V and Czarina Lyudmila. The young Czarina to be was raised in the lap of luxury and extravagance, and away from the prying eyes of the press and the Russian public. She had her own personal servants and tutors, and like her father she was educated in languages, history, geography, imperial politics, law, and economics. Her academic performance was reportedly lackluster; she was more interested in gallivanting about the palace gardens or playing video games than studying. Despite that she was able to become fluent in German (the language of educated Russian nobility and intelligentsia) and English. She additionally took lessons in singing, acting, riding, and sailing, all of which she found more enjoyable than her academic subjects. By her teen years, the future Czarina had also established a name for herself on social media; with the public not being allowed to interact with her directly, it was an avenue where she could make friends outside her circle and live like a normal teenager. Of course the Ohrana (the Russian state security service) kept a close eye on all these encounters; any hint of a threat or antimonarchist statement and the guilty party could expect a visit from the men in black. For Katya the world was her oyster; an idyllic utopia that fairy tale princesses could only dream of.

Reign

Accession

It was July 16, 2018. That summer afternoon the Czar and Czarina hopped into their Mercedes-Benz convertible. It was going to be a short uneventful drive to the train station; they were on the way to Moscow to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Romanoff family massacre. The memorial service was set to occur the next day. The Czar did not order a closure of the road which was customary for imperial processions; he did not believe it necessary for a commute of such short length. This oversight would prove fatal. As the family's Mercedes rounded a curve, it was struck head on by a speeding drunk driver's vehicle that crossed into its lane. Despite two police motorcycles providing escort, the crash happened so quickly that the occupants did not stand a chance. At 2:35 Czar Vasily V and Czarina Lyudmila were pronounced deceased at the scene. Katya was distraught and inconsolable following the loss of her parents; she locked herself in her room and refused to come out for months. It was not until a whole year later that she would fully regain her composure. Ekaterina III officially made her debut as Czarina of Russia on August 25, 2019 to wild cheers from her subjects. Her coronation was an extravagant and extensively publicized affair featuring fireworks, street parties, parades, flybys by the air force, and a naval fleet review.

Leadership and ideology

Ekaterina III has maintained her father's autocratic rule of the Russian Empire but her policies are considerably more progressive, at times even activist. Under her reign education became compulsory for the first time for children of the urban bourgeoisie and industrial working classes; rural inhabitants remain exempt. Furthermore while she has not established a universal healthcare system (extremely difficult because of Russia's geography), she has personally funded a network of hospital trains and ships that travel to provide medical care in remote communities. She has also increased legal protection for workers and consumers, and required all companies to provide paid parental leave and observe gender quotas in hiring; however this has irritated some corporate bosses who no longer get to treat their employees as playthings. One of her more controversial policies is her decision to end conscription, with conservative commentators claiming that society is becoming more soft because of it. Nevertheless the Czarina is generally regarded as a benevolent and popular ruler by her subjects.

Handling of the COVID-19 pandemic

Perhaps the biggest controversy in Ekaterina III's reign is regarding how her government handled COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. Unlike most of its European counterparts Russia never enacted any pandemic-related measures like stay at home orders, curfews, or mask / vaccine mandates; instead this was left as a matter of personal choice. While much of the global tourism industry struggled under national lockdowns and travel bans, in Russia it was booming since the country was practically the only one that stayed fully open for tourists with no restrictions; even the Czarina herself was seen partying it up at a resort in Cancun with zero masks or social distancing, something that has been slammed by health workers as recklessly irresponsible in the midst of a pandemic. However among those skeptical about the seriousness of COVID-19, and owners of small businesses with no other source of income, her decision to keep everything open is a godsend and just what the doctor ordered. Furthermore while there was a high initial death count from the virus, infection numbers today are close to those of other countries including ones that did enact strict lockdowns. And economic impact has largely been quite minor. Whether Russia's approach was the right one is still being hotly debated by public health and policy experts.

Foreign policy

Pro and anti

Pro: Same sex marriage, abortion, workers' rights, animal rights, public education, public healthcare, environmental protection.

Anti: Cars, conscription, war, slavery, communism, fascism, anarchism, COVID-19 lockdowns, mask mandates.

Personal Information

Katya is a rambunctious free-spirited girl who says and does whatever she wants and does not give a damn about how she is judged by anyone but herself. She is not haughty or demanding but once she makes up her mind there is no stopping her. Brash, impulsive, and volatile, the Czarina is quick to pitch a fit when things do not go her way and is not above using threats and violence to achieve her goals. Furthermore she can be quite ruthless and unforgiving and will go out of her way to punish those that she feels have wronged or betrayed her. But stay on her good side and you will have a loyal, caring, easygoing, and fun-loving companion for life.

Life and family

Hobbies and interests

Gallery

Trivia

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