Ее звали княжна Тараканова

The famous painting by K. Flavitsky - icy water whipping through the casemate window, a frightened girl clinging to the wall, B. Pasternak's line - "you fight like Princess Tarakanova fought when the ravelin was flooded in February ...". Princess Tarakanova is the most mysterious and romantic figure in Russian history. Catherine the Great was terribly afraid of her, European monarchs were fascinated by her, Alexei Orlov delivered her to Russia by deceit, where she disappeared either in secret dungeons, or in twilight monastic cells. So who is she - an adventurer, a contender for the Russian throne, an international spy, an innocent victim? The historian and art critic Nina Moleva answers these questions in her book.