Yekaterina Dashkova

Princess Yekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova was the closest female friend of Empress Catherine the Great and a major figure of the Russian Enlightenment. She was part of a coup d'etat that placed Catherine on the throne. Vorontsova-Dashkova was the first woman in the world to head a national academy of sciences and helped found the Russian Academy. Not only was she the head of these academies, Vorontsova- Dashkova was one of the first women in Europe to hold a government office. She also published prolifically, with original and translated works on many subjects.