Диалог Великой княгини Екатерины Алексеевны с польским анонимным автором о месте и роли женщины в обществе: к вопросу о функционировании жанра анекдота в творчестве Екатерины II

In the article is considered the problem of functioning anecdote in Catherine’s II fiction. Anecdote depicting the image of a clever and educated wife starts a dialogue with a Polish anonymous author’s text A golden burden of marriage, in which the image of wife becomes a target for mocking and open Renaissance laugh. Catherine Alexeevna answers on it using Enlightening conception of a wife image, whose place in the society is determined by her education, upbringing and literature abilities. Thanks to her qualities, a woman can become the owner of the salon and even in some exceptional cases - the Empress.