Welcome to Trust the Dust. On this channel, history isn’t dusty or boring—it’s dramatic, chaotic, and occasionally hilarious. Catherine the Great: born Sophie, upgraded herself, and never looked back. Shipped to Russia at 14 to marry Peter III—a man with the charisma of stale bread and a hobby of playing with toy soldiers—she quickly realized, “I’m the talent here.” She learned the language, charmed the court, and when Peter became emperor and immediately annoyed literally everyone, she pulled off a coup like it was on her to-do list. Boom—he’s out, she’s in. She expanded Russia, collected art, flirted with Enlightenment ideas, and ruled for decades. Messy? Yes. Impressive? Also yes.