 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Catherine II Mukuru, uyo akatonga muna 176296, akatungamira Zera reRussian Enlightenment. Akawedzera kutonga kweRussia kwezvematongerwo enyika pamusoro pePolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth uye akabatanidza nzvimbo dzayo dzakawanda muRussia panguva yePartitions yePoland, achisundira muganhu weRussia kumadokero muCentral Europe, uye nokudaro achiita Russia nyika ine vanhu vakawanda muEurope. Kumaodzanyemba, pashure pehondo dzakabudirira dzeRusso-Turkish dzairwisana noUmambo hweOttoman, Catherine akafambira mberi muganhu weRussia kusvikira kuGungwa Dema, achikunda Khanate yeCrimea. Somugumisiro wokukunda kwaakaita Qajar Iran kuburikidza neHondo dzeRussia nePersia, pakazosvika hafu yekutanga yezana ramakore rechi19, Russia yakawanawo nzvimbo dzakakosha muTranscaucasia neNorth Caucasus. Mutsivi waCatherine, mwanakomana wake Paul, akanga asina kugadzikana uye ainyanya kufunga nezvenyaya dzomumba. Pashure pokutonga kwake kwenguva pfupi, zano raCatherine rakaenderera mberi naAlexander I 180125 achibvutaFinland kubva kuSweden yakanga yaneta muna 1809, uye Bessarabia kubva kuvaOttoman muna 1812. Vachiri muNorth America, vaRussia vakava vokuEurope vokutanga kusvika ndokugara muAlaska. 