The Messed Up Truth Of Catherine The Great

Catherine knew that the best way to hold on to her power was to avoid marriage. Besides, she had been married once before, and everyone knew how well that relationship ended — she probably had little desire to repeat the experience. But avoidance of marriage did not stop her from taking lovers, and she had many throughout her life. According to History, Catherine started having affairs while she was still married — first with officer Sergei Saltykov (who may have been the father of her son, Paul) and later with Grigory Orlov, who helped her overthrow Peter. Other notable names in Catherine's life included Russian nobleman Grigory Potemkin and Polish noble Stanislaw Poniatowski. Being the Empress's lover was a most coveted position, given how well Catherine treated her paramours. Even after the relationships ended, Catherine still generously lavished her former loves with land, titles, serfs, palaces, or political backing. 

Although tales of Catherine's supposed promiscuity and nymphomania pervaded Europe, the reality was that despite having many lovers, Catherine was actually quite the "serial monogamist," as detailed by Biography. Catherine was never involved with more than one person at a time, and several of those relationships lasted for many years. It wasn't until her later years that she started taking on younger, more short-term lovers, and she absolutely never engaged in bestiality or tried to have sex with a horse — a popular rumor spread by her enemies.