Tsaritsa Elizabeth, shown here, was a major improvement over Anna. She avoided using the death penalty after seeing Anna abuse it. Not having a legitimate heir, she imported a German princeling to succeed her. He turned out to be incompetent but Elisabeth also imported his German wife, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was very capable and served Russia well as Catherine II.

1740s Elizabeth of Russia (Rostovskiy Oblastnoy Muzey Izobrazitel'nykh Iskusstv (Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts) - Rostov na Dony, Rostovskaya oblast, Russia)
