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Catharine I, b. 1683 (N.S.), d May 17, 1725, Czarina of Russia 1725-1727. She born in small village in lithuania. She was serf until Swedish troops took lithuania from Russia. She never knew her father and she got her name (Martha) with christening. Because she never met her father, church's priest raised her until she was 14. Then she moved to Marienburg, to be maid for Gluck (he was lutheric priest).
When Swedish troops captured the city, she married with one Swedish Dragoon in 1702, when she was 18 years old. But, it was short marriage, because next day Russian army eliminated these Dragoon units and she never met him again. Several days later she was captured by Russian General Bauer and she served him for start, and after it she served Marshal Sheremetjev and Marshal Sheremetjev gave her to Menshikov. Czar Peter I met her while dining with Menshikov family, falled love to her and married her in secrecy at Nov 8 1707.
She was now wife of Czar and she didn't know even how to write or read. But she was very smart woman and some tales tells she was a one of the important persons to make peace with Ottoman Empire in middle of the battle, in Pruth (1711). But, those tales are not true. These tales are made to praise her, because she was just daughter of serf and needed some merits. She was a ruler of Russia in 1725-1727 after her husband, Czar Peter I died.
