20 masterpieces from Moscow Kremlin s Diamond Fund russiaherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from russiaherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Empress Elizabeth was the first Russian ruler to ban the death penalty. However, during her reign there was a punishment essentially equal to a death sentence – hard labor for life in the construction of a Baltic port.