Edward Daniel Clarke (1769-1822) wrote in his famous book ‘Travels in Russia’ which became a bestseller in 19th-century Europe: “There is nothing in which the late Catherine employed so much artifice, as in keeping secret the true history of her own people, and the wretched state of her own empire. This is evident in all her correspondence with Voltaire, in all her instructions to her ministers, in the glaring falsehoods published by her hired writers, but particularly in the work she, with her agents, put together in answer to the writings of the Abbe de la Chappe. A party of her savans were engaged to accompany her in a voyage down the Volga; ag they sailed along, she caused that work to be read, eyery ang present being called upon to contribute something, either af smart criticism, or contradictory remark: and the notes so collected being afterwards put together by the celebrated Aleksye Musine Puchkine, constituted the work which bears the title of “The Antidote.” I received this information from one of the persons who were present with her upon that occasion, and who also added his share to the undertaking. Nothing can be more deceitful than the glare which played about the court of Petersburg in the time of Catherine. Pompous plans of im- provement seemed to be the subject of daily conversation, and were industriously ponasated in foreign countries, not one of which were caried into effect. ‘They existed only upon paper, like the troops which Russia often affects to muster upon her frontiers, or like the numerous governments and garrisons whose name serves to occupy the void spaces upon the maps of her desolate territories.
Examples of Catherine’s forging Ukrainian historic documents can be found in the “Gardariki, Ukraine‘ e-book. The book also has a translation of a letter in French (to Voltair?) that was found on her desk after she had died. It contains the true description of Yury Dolgoruky and his character.
