Ekaterina (novel)

Ekaterina is a historical novel by Russian author Alexander Terekhov, published in 2012. The novel centers on the life of Empress Catherine II of Russia, also known as Catherine the Great (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst). Unlike traditional biographical novels that present a comprehensive, linear account of a subject's life, Terekhov's Ekaterina focuses on specific episodes and relationships, presenting a fragmented and at times unconventional portrait of the empress.

The novel explores Catherine's political maneuvering, her intellectual pursuits, her numerous love affairs, and her complex relationship with Russia and its people. Terekhov's depiction of Catherine is often critical and unflattering, highlighting her ruthlessness, ambition, and foreign origins, which made her perpetually reliant on maintaining the favor of the Russian court and nobility.

Ekaterina received the Russian Booker Prize in 2012. The novel has been noted for its stylistic experimentation, its unflinching portrayal of power and its consequences, and its contribution to the re-evaluation of historical figures in contemporary Russian literature. It has been translated into several languages. The novel's reception has been varied, with some critics praising its originality and depth, and others criticizing its bleak and cynical tone.