In her own country, Dashkova was both loved and hated. The members of the educated Russian elite admired the princess for her forceful intelligence and looked down on her unorthodox behavior in the public sphere.

Dashkova’s notorious eccentricities set her apart from the typically docile and unassuming eighteen-century Russian womenfolk. A tale of her daring escapades starts with the summer of 1762 incident. On June 28, the nineteen year old Dashkova, already married and pregnant with her second child, arrayed herself in an officer’s uniform and took to the streets of St. Petersburg, where, according to her memoir, she played a major role in dethroning her godfather, Peter III. As a result of this palace revolution, Peter’s German-born wife, Catherine II, assumed the reins of government.

Dashkova was distinguished for her gallantry with the Star of the Order of St. Catherine and given a red sash with a gold and diamond insignia, which she frequently sported in her official portraits. Witnessing the growth of her political influence, many representatives of Dashkova’s circle began to resent her active engagement in the affairs of the state.