I'm going to get a a Yes, yes, a ras, if yes a ras.

We're you're a ras. Hi, this is your Russian rulers podcast host Mark Shouse.

I'm interrupting today's podcast all the way from episode 108 to make a short announcement.

I've created a new blog site for all things having to do with Russian history and far beyond just the rulers. You can find it at

www dot Russian rulers history.com. I mean there's a lot of content there

already to read about things like the Decemberist revolt of 1825,

the life of Sviata Polk, the accursed, Nikita Khrushchev, and much, much more.

Of course, there's also a small little PayPal donation button there

if you want to help support the podcast.

It would be much appreciated.

Now, on to the podcast.

Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast.

Episode 52, Emperor Paul the First

Last episode, we said goodbye to a giant of a woman,

Catherine the Great.

She served a country for 34 years and she moved the country in the direction that Peter the Great had started by continuing his Westernization program, but staying truly Russian. While the Empress did much for the country and expanded

its borders immensely, Catherine made life for the serfs no better and probably worse. With Catherine dead, her son

announced our. Paul wasted no time working on reversing whatever his mother

had accomplished that displeased him regardless of the consequences.

The first thing he did was to make right by his murdered father, a murder he blamed entirely on Catherine.

Just three days after her death, he issued the following edict.

On the occasion of the death of our beloved mother, we have appointed a

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