Historical fiction author, Eva Stachniak is an author and a professor. Born in Warsaw, Poland, Stachniak left Poland in 1981 and moved to Canada. She studied English at McGill Uniersity in Montreal and eventually received her doctorate from there.
Stachniak taught in the English department at the University of Wroclaw back in Poland. She also has worked at Radio Canada International, the Polish Section in Montreal. Stachniak wrote and produced programs about Canada. The author then taught English and humanities courses at Sheridan College.
Her novels have included "Necessary Lies", "Garden of Venus", and her most recent novel, "The Winter Palace" about the early years of Catherine the Great.
What inspired you to write a novel on Catherine the Great?
Stachniak: Catherine the Great fascinated me for some time. A minor Prussian princess arriving in Moscow at 14 with just a few Russian words at her command and a meager supply of linen in dire need of mending. An unloved wife of a not too stable and mature husband who—jealous of her abilities—constantly threatens to push her aside. A mother deprived of her children at the moment of their birth, forced to watch her son and heir brought up in ways she not only disapproves of, but believes truly harmful.
But there was also another Catherine, the enlightened empress who reformed Russia, the builder of spectacular palaces we still admire in St. Petersburg and in Tsarskoye Selo, the collector of magnificent art which is still the core of the Hermitage Museum. A smart, ambitious woman who always knew what she wanted in life. A usurper who stole her husband’s crown and condoned his murder. A masterful politician who knew how to manipulate public opinion, making sure her victories were noted and her sins forgotten. And last, but not least, for me, born and raised in Poland, an empress who at the end of her reign, with the help of Prussia and Austria wiped Poland off the map of Europe, and made my own ancestors subjects of the Russian tsars.
Why did you decide to tell the story from the point-of-view of Varvara instead of Catherine?
Stachniak: I have always been drawn to the vision of those who have to learn how to function in a new, unfamiliar environment. Most outsiders make excellent observers, readers of clues, and hidden intentions.
Another reason for wanting to tell Catherine’s story from outside was the need to understand the essence of Catherine’s power over people. I wanted the reader to experience Catherine’s spell over those around her, show how this Prussian princess managed to command the hearts of so many.
And then, of course, Varvara is a spy, able to peek beyond closed doors, the best narrator an author can imagine.
How would you best describe Catherine the Great?
Stachniak: As a woman with many faces. An immigrant who had to reinvent herself. An intelligent, pragmatic, and rational ruler who had herself and her son inoculated against smallpox to set an example for her subjects. A passionate and sensuous woman who—as she grew older—chose younger and younger men for her favorites.
There is Catherine an avid reader of history and philosophy, a writer of memoirs, plays, books for children, and hundreds of letters. A sophisticated collector of paintings and art. A builder of palaces. A passionate gardener.
And then there is also Catherine the empress hungry for victories, bent on the expansion of Russia, ruthless to her enemies. A formidable player on the European scene who did not allow anyone to push her around.
How would you best describe Varvara?
Stachniak: Varvara is an orphan who has been deprived of a loving home, the only place where she belonged and felt safe. She is smart, courageous and resourceful and, when fate deposits her at the Russian court, she desperately looks for ways to better herself and find the best way to survive. Her fascination with Catherine is a consuming passion of Varvara’s life, because she sees in the new empress a harbinger of a new enlightened world order, someone who can restore not only her sense of safety and purpose, but also repair the old wrongs.
The Empress Elizabeth also has quite a role in this novel, in what ways do you think she and Catherine were similar and different as rulers of Russia?
Stachniak: There is a very strong link between Catherine and Elizabeth which I see as decisive in Catherine’s formation as empress. Even though—in her memoirs—Catherine often complains about the inconsistencies of Elizabeth’s rule, when she herself becomes empress she adopts many of Elizabeth’s traits. For instance, Catherine combs Germany for prospective brides, first for her son and then both her grandsons. She doesn’t quite snatch her grandsons from their mother the moment they are born—the way Elizabeth did—but she does take over their upbringing and education—treating them more as her own children than grandchildren. And then, as she grows older, Catherine takes increasingly younger lovers. When she turns sixty her last favorite Platon Zubov is twenty years old—mirroring Elizabeth’s last passion for a 22 year old Ivan Schuvalov.
These are the similarities, but there are quite important differences as well. Where Elizabeth tended to delegate the ruling of the empire to her advisors and ministers, Catherine kept all reigns of power in her hands. Unlike Elizabeth, Catherine never sacrificed her imperial duties for pleasure. She was also much better educated than Elizabeth and much more capable of playing the political games of the European politics.
How much research went into writing "The Winter Palace"?
Stachniak: When I decided to write a novel about Catherine the Great I read the existing biographies of her, in addition to her own Memoirs, letters, and plays. I also read many excellent scholarly articles on various aspects of her reign as well as biographies and memoirs of her most prominent courtiers. Another priceless source came in the form of 18th century diaries and letters of the travellers to Russia.
One of my all time favorite sources are The Russian Journals of Martha and Catherine Wilmot, compiled from the letters and diary entries that the Wilmot sisters sent from Russia to their family in Ireland. For several years, the two sisters were cherished house guests of Princess Dashkova, the youthful companion of Catherine from the time of the coup. As foreign visitors to Russia the Wilmots reported on everything that amused or intrigued them: funeral customs, the abundance of servants in Russian palaces and manor houses, the sights in the streets. They also heard many personal stories about Catherine from their hostess, and I used many of them in the novel.
Where have you traveled in inspiration for your work?
Stachniak: I took a trip to St. Petersburg, for I could not imagine writing about Catherine without seeing the place where she spent most of her life. I visited the Winter Palace and the imperial palaces outside St. Petersburg: Oranienbaum, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, and the small Monplaisir pavilion where Alexei Orlov woke up the then Grand Duchess of Russia on June 28, 1762 to take her to the capital where she would proclaim herself empress.
The Winter Palace, much changed since Catherine’s time, still retains many traces of her. This is where one can see her paintings, her jewels, her precious cameo collection, her china, and her carriages. But it is Tsarkoye Selo that has retained the most of her spirit, the neo-classical interiors Catherine has designed in clear opposition to Elizabeth’s Russian baroque, statues and pictures of her in her many guises, a Minerva—the patroness of heroes art and commerce, a victorious empress claiming her spiritual connection with Peter the Great, a kind grandmother of her nation.
What other areas of history are you interested in?
Stachniak: The 18th century was the backdrop of two of my novels, The Winter Palace and Garden of Venus. But now I find myself drawn to the beginnings of the 20th century, especially to the inter-war period, the years between 1918-1939 marked by the great upheavals: WWI, the Russian Revolution. This was the time when White Russian refugees descended on Berlin and Paris trying to pick up the pieces of their misplaced lives, recover some of the lost splendor. It was also a very fertile time in art, literature and music.
Can you tell readers about any upcoming projects?
Stachniak: "The Winter Palace" is the first of two novels of Catherine the Great. The second, "Empress of the Night" will be written from Catherine’s point of view, and the two books will, I hope, complement each other. Catherine is such a formidable, larger than life woman, that I needed to write more than one novel to give justice to her story. In "Empress of the Night", Catherine is an absolute monarch, a sole autocrat of a great and thriving empire. As "The Winter Palace" told the story of what happens on the road to power, "Empress of the Night" will explore how having power transforms the empress herself.
What other historical fiction authors do you admire or enjoy? What authors from the past and present do you enjoy or have inspired you?
Stachniak: This is such a difficult question because I have many favorite authors and the list always changes, but I will try.
"Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy, is an all-time favorite, for I have read and re-read it several times, always finding something new in this tragic love-story which is also a spiritual journey through Russia.
One of my latest fascinations in historical fiction is "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel, a brilliant tale of the treacherous world of court politics in Tudor England. Mantel writing is rich and intricate in period details, and at the same time it never loses its focus.
But then I also admire Penelope Fitzgerald’s "The Blue Flower", Kate Grenville’s "The Secret River", and many many more …
Lastly, what do you believe were Catherine's strengths and weaknesses as a ruler?
Stachniak: Catherine the Great was an optimist at heart, always determined to see the bright side of things. Her personal courage and her determination to make the best of any situation made her successful where other rulers would have failed. Catherine was also hard-working and extremely pragmatic—not caring much about ideology as long as the results of her actions brought desired results. She had—her contemporaries attest to that—grace and dignity and personal charm. She ruled with a certain informality, accepted criticism of those she trusted. In her advisors, she valued partnership in search of solutions. She showed them her respect and inspired their loyalty in return. These were her strengths. Her weaknesses? Strong desire to impress and dominate, even in trivial matters, a certain dose of vanity which often dulled her judgment, especially in her personal relationships. She turned a blind eye to the consequences of her sexual passions—for instance the devastating effect her young, immature lovers had on her grandchildren. She could be a ruthless politician, cruel to those she conquered. And certainly quite ruthless and unhelpful toward her son, whom she never tried to groom for his inheritance, with disastrous consequences.
*A huge thanks to Eva Stachniak for this fascinating interview*
For more information on Eva Stachniak:
Comments