"Princess Tarakanova" is a painting created by Konstantin Flavitsky in 1864. The artwork depicts a scene of dramatic intensity and emotion, showcasing a beautiful woman dressed in a red velvet gown standing on a wooden bed within the confines of a prison cell. In a desperate attempt to escape her fate, she presses herself against the wall as water floods into her chamber through a window. The painting draws inspiration from the tale of Princess Tarakanova, an impostor who claimed the Russian throne in 1774. After being captured and brought back to Russia in 1775, she was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. According to a legendary version of her story, she drowned in her cell during the great flood that struck the city on September 10 (21), 1777.

свернуть