Uniform Dress of Catherine II to the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment St Petersburg, Russia 1763 Silk and metal threads, copper, gold lace, gilt Catherine the Great was a great patron of the Guards' regiments, who had done much to bring her to power. The Empress had a dress made in accordance with the uniform of each regiment, and wore this dress to appear before the regimental officers on regimental holidays. This dress combines features of a uniform and of Russian national costume, as well as elements of the French fashion then widespread in Russia.