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Elizabeth, Saint, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Elizabeth, Saint, in the Gospel of St. Luke, mother of John the Baptist and kinswoman of the Virgin Mary. Feast: Nov. 5.

Hermitage, museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

(Encyclopedia)Hermitage ĕrˌmētäzhˈ [key], museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the world's foremost houses of art, consisting of six buildings along the embankment of the Neva River. Its central building, ...

Catherine II

(Encyclopedia)Catherine II or Catherine the Great, 1729–96, czarina of Russia (1762–96). Catherine increased the power and prestige of Russia by skillful diplomacy and by extending Russia's western boundary i...

Elizabeth I, queen of England

(Encyclopedia)Elizabeth I, 1533–1603, queen of England (1558–1603). After the Armada, Elizabeth's popularity began to wane. Parliament became less tractable and began to object to the abuse of royally grante...

Shrewsbury, Elizabeth Talbot, countess of

(Encyclopedia)Shrewsbury, Elizabeth Talbot, countess of shrōzˈbərē, shro͞ozˈ– [key], 1520–1608, English noblewoman, known as Bess of Hardwick. At the age of 15 she married Robert Barlow, who died shortly ...

Maria Feodorovna

(Encyclopedia)Maria Feodorovna märēˈä fyôˈdərəvnə [key], 1847–1928, czarina of Russia, consort of Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. Originally named Dagmar, she was the daughter of Christian IX of...

Ivan V

(Encyclopedia)Ivan V, 1666–96, czar of Russia (1682–96), son of Czar Alexis by his first wife. Ivan was mentally retarded, and on the death of his elder brother, Feodor III, his succession was opposed by the su...

Dvina, river, Russia

(Encyclopedia)Dvina dvēnäˈ [key] or Northern Dvina, Rus. Severnaya Dvina, river, c.465 mi (750 km) long, N European Russia. It is formed near Veliki Ustyug by the union of the Sukhona and Yug rivers, flows N pas...

Don, river, Russia

(Encyclopedia)Don dŏn, Rus. dôn [key], river, SW European Russia. It rises SE of Tula and flows c.1,200 mi (1,930 km), first SE past Voronezh, then SW into the Sea of Azov. At its eastern bend the Don is linked b...

Aldan, city, Russia

(Encyclopedia)Aldan əldänˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 27,000), Sakha Republic, E Siberian Russia, on the Aldan Plateau. Located on a major north-south highway of the region, it is also in the heart of an important g...