The two-hour special tells the amazing story of the obscure German princess who transformed Russia from a backward feudal outpost into a vast modern empire. Filmed in Russia amid its great palaces and cathedrals, the documentary uses recently released personal memoirs and newly discovered correspondence to provide an intimate, never-before-seen view of the enigmatic monarch - an early feminist, prolific writer and fabled sexual enthusiast who used charm, cunning and diplomacy to become Russia's most powerful ruler.