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Grigori Potemkin

Grigory Potemkin
Princepotemkin.jpg
Non-contemporary portrait of
Potemkin in later life
President of the College of War
In office 1774–91
Predecessor Zakhar Chernyshev
Successor Nikolay Saltykov
Born (1739-10-11)11 October 1739 (N.S.)
Chizhovo, Russian Empire
Died 16 October 1791(1791-10-16) (aged 52) (N.S.)
Jassy, Principality of Moldavia
Burial 24 October 1791
Wife Catherine II of Russia (possible)
Father Alexander Potemkin
Mother Daria Skuratowa
Religion Russian Orthodox

Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tavricheski (Russian: Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий; ‘Potyomkin’, r Grigoriy Aleksandrovich Potyomkin-Tavricheskiy; October 11 [O.S. September 30] 1739 – October 16 [O.S. October 5] 1791) was a Russian military leader, statesman, nobleman and favourite of Catherine the Great. He died during negotiations over the Treaty of Jassy, which ended a war with the Ottoman Empire that he had overseen.

Potemkin was born into a family of middle-income noble landowners. He first attracted Catherine's favor for helping in her 1762 coup, then distinguished himself as a military commander in the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). He became Catherine's lover, favorite and possibly her consort. After their passion cooled, he remained her lifelong friend and favored statesman. Catherine obtained for him the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and gave him the title of Prince of the Russian Empire among many others: he was both a Grand Admiral and the head of all of Russia's land and irregular forces. Potemkin's defining achievements include the peaceful annexation of the Crimea (1783) and the successful second Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). The fall of Ottoman stronghold Izmail that he orchestrated prompted Gavrila Derzhavin and Osip Kozlovsky to write Russia's first national anthem, "Let the thunder of victory sound!".


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