Final answer:
Peter the Great sought to modernize Russia by bringing in Western culture, expertise, and technology, including inviting artists and scholars to Russia, making him the answer to the question. The answer to this question is C) Catherine the Great.
Step-by-step explanation:
Peter the Great was the Russian leader who made significant efforts to improve his country's culture by inviting artists and scholars from Europe.
This endeavor was part of his grand initiative to modernize Russia and draw it closer to Western cultural and technological norms.
Peter the Great undertook an incognito journey to Europe to learn about shipbuilding, administrative techniques, and other advancements that could be implemented in Russia.
During his reign from 1672 to 1725, Peter not only established the Russian Empire but also put extensive effort into cultivating Russia as a progressive nation.
His eagerness to adopt European ways translated into sponsoring the arts and sciences in addition to reorganizing the Russian government.
While Ivan the Terrible, Catherine the Great, and Nicholas II each had significant impacts on Russia in different ways, it was Peter the Great who actively tried to incorporate European culture into Russian society to cement its status as an emerging great power. The answer to this question is C) Catherine the Great.