Elizaveta Petrovna (December 29 [O.S.December 18], 1709 – January 5, 1762 [O.S. December 25, 1761]), also known as Yelisavet and Elizabeth, is the Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death.

She leads the country into the two major European conflicts of her time: the War of Austrian Succession (1740–8) and the Seven Years' War (1756–63).

Her domestic policies allow the nobles to gain dominance in local government while shortening their terms of service to the state.

She encourages Mikhail Lomonosov's establishment of the University of Moscow and Ivan Shuvalov’s foundation of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg.

She also spends exorbitant sums of money on the grandiose baroque projects of her favorite architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, particularly in Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo.

The Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral in Saint Petersburg remain the chief monuments of her reign.

She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs, due to her strong opposition to Prussian policies and her abstinence from executing a single person during her reign.