Person

Grigory Potemkin

1739–1791 · 18th century · Also known as Prince Potemkin, Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin

Grigory Potemkin was a Russian statesman and field marshal, the favourite and close partner in government of Catherine the Great. As governor of New Russia he directed the annexation of Crimea in 1783, founded towns such as Kherson and Mykolaiv, and built the Black Sea Fleet. He commanded Russian forces in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792, taking Ochakiv in 1788, and died during the peace talks in 1791.

Grigory Potemkin
Image: After Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Crimean KhanateDecline

Mentioned in 1 state history

Black Sea Cossack Host

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Grigory Potemkin. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/grigory-potemkin
MLA
“Grigory Potemkin.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/grigory-potemkin. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Grigory Potemkin.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/grigory-potemkin.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Grigory Potemkin’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/grigory-potemkin (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻