- Marquis de Fleury: Monsieur: the wig is the essence of our civilisation, it is the symbol of our century, it is the rococo of the rococo.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: My dear marquis, I'm so embarrassed. A perfect stranger coming out of the wall.
- Marquis de Fleury: Oh, please do not even mention. In Paris nothing but secret entrances. Only the husbands and servants use the regular doors. In the salon of Madame du Barry, you can see the best people coming out of the book shelves.
- Catherine the Great: However much you may hate me at this moment I'm sure you don't want to see me killed. They're going to do it Alexei.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: Oh no Madame - I have their promise. They wanted to, but when we were discussing the loot, I claimed you. I could have had an old sofa, a genuine antique, the mother of all the sofas, but I preferred the Mother of All the Russias.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: He's worse than the 14th. And Louis XIV was worse than the 13th. That's the trouble with France. Too many Louis's.
- [last lines]
- Catherine the Great: I'm lonely Marquis.
- Marquis de Fleury: I do not dare to compare myself to Your Majesty but me, I'm lonely too...
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: You know what's going on in Russia?
- Capt. Sukov: No, and please don't tell me. I don't want to get mixed up in anything. All I want to do is guard the east gate.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: Look, here are 50 rubles. Please take me to her majesty.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: You can't bribe the chancellor of Russia. Not with 50 rubles.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: You're the chancellor? The man everybody says is ruining Russia?
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: You're from the East?
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: No, from the West.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: How things do get around. It's amazing.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: I beg your majesty not to waste your precious energy. We have these minor revolutions every day.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: I don't believe his excellency has a very high opinion of me. Frankly, he seems to think I'm something of a fool.
- Catherine the Great: That's a lot of nonsense. You're brilliant... and you look simply divine in that uniform.
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: I even dreamed about you last night.
- Gen. Ronsky: Something bad?
- Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch: I don't know yet. I'm going to dream the end tonight.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: I didn't think you listened.
- Catherine the Great: I remember every word, every syllable.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: Then you heard what I said about the peasants?
- Catherine the Great: Did I hear? How can you ask? I've been thinking of nothing else but peasants, peasants, peasants, and peasants.
- Marquis de Fleury: I have seen portraits, many many of Your Majesty and I have heard glowing reports of the beauties and charms of Your Majesty. But the palette of the painter has not colours enough to paint and the lyre of the poet has strings not tender enough to sing about the beauty which my eyes have the good fortune to dazzle at.
- Catherine the Great: Thank you Monsieur Le Marquis, but I want you to know that compliments of that kind don't mean very much in Russia.
- Marquis de Fleury: Your Majesty - they don't mean anything in France - it's just our French way of saying hello.
- Lt. Alexei Chernoff: Your majesty, I'm ready to die for you.
- Catherine the Great: That's no news either. I expect that from my soldiers.
- Catherine the Great: Anna, my mind is made up. You lack pride. Definitely pride. Now where would you like to go?