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Abstract
Catherine II is the only ruler of the Russian Empire whose image is endowed with the most positive features in the public space of post-Soviet Tatarstan. The memory of her is fixed with the help of various commemorative forms: monuments, exhibitions, artworks, and performances are dedicated to her. Based on the analysis of expert interviews, popular science publications and articles in the media, we reconstruct the main versions of the history of the reign of Catherine II, which are promoted in the region. Based on interviews and mass polls, we show how the image of Catherine II is estimated and interpreted by ordinary residents of Tatarstan. The regional policy of memory represents the era of Catherine as the heyday that came after the era of decline, the fall of the Kazan Khanate. However, this time seems to be relatively favorable for the Tatars, because the Tatar people were deprived of the right to their statehood. The image of Catherine II in the mass representations of the inhabitants of Tatarstan is less controversial. Her activity is assessed unambiguously positively. The influence of communicative memory and the general Russian context lead to the fact that ordinary people consider significant events that are not in the discourse of the national movement.
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