The major exhibition Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress marks the 250th anniversary of Catherine's ascension to the Russian throne. It also marks the longstanding connections between Scotland and Russia. Opening on 13 July 2012 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (its only venue), the exhibition has been co-developed by the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Catherine (1729-96), one of Russia's most successful rulers, was also one of the greatest art collectors of all time. The exhibition includes: costumes and uniforms; snuffboxes inlaid with precious gems, gold and silver; Ancient Greek and Roman carved cameos depicting figures from biblical stories, mythology and history; and many of the finest examples of porcelain, glass, metal, and polished stone items ever made in Russia. It also includes a newly restored. full-length portrait of the Empress in her coronation robes by the court painter Virgilus Eriksen. This book has eight illustrated essays by experts in the fields of Russian history and art, followed by a selected catalogue of the 300+ exhibits. There is also a hardback edition.