The role of Potemkin in the Russo-Turkish war. Favorite of Catherine II

Date: 2014-06-23

St. Petersburg mint XIX century. Copy of V. Bezrodny (front), I. Vekhter (back). Copper. Diameter 92 mm. On the front side is the chest image of the prince in a wig and a mantle over a scaly shell, at the bottom “K.V. ROTHless”, in a circle “PRINCE GRIGORY ALEKSANDROVICH POTEMKIN TAVRICHESKOYI, GENERAL FIELD MARSHAL”.

On the reverse side, a geographical map of the Crimea and the Taman Bay with the names of seas, bays and cities, in a cartouche at the top "THE MEEKNESS Humble Opponent", right above the "W.F." (Wechter performed), truncated "JOINING RUSSIA-CRIMEA AND TAMAN-V 1783. YEAR.".

St. Petersburg mint XIX century. Copy of V. Bezrodny (front), P. Bobrovshchikov (back). Bronze. Diameter 92.5 mm.

On the front side there is a chest image of the prince in a wig and a mantle over a scaly shell, at the bottom “K.V. BEZRODNOY”, in a circle “PRINCE GRIGORY ALEKSANDROVICH POTEMKIN TAVRICHESKOYI, GENERAL FIELD MARSHAL”.

On the reverse side is a geographical map of the Yekaterinoslav governorship and the region adjacent to the Black and Azov seas with the names of bays and cities, at the top in a cartouche "STEPPE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT", on the left above the bleed "B." (Bobrovshchikov). in the bleed “THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAMSTNICHES-TVA OF EKATERINOSLAVSK AND THE REGION OF TAVRI-CHESKOY”.(yat)

By the highest decree of February 2, 1784, the Tauride Region was established under the control of Prince G.A., appointed by the President of the Military Collegium. Potemkin.

In February 1783, the Crimean Khan abdicated the throne, on March 28 Catherine II's manifesto "On the Acceptance of the Crimean Peninsula, Taman Island and the entire Kuban side under the Russian state" was published, and in June, Prince Potemkin took the oath of allegiance to Russia by the Crimean nobility. The Crimean Khanate ceased to exist. In December 1783, Turkey recognized the annexation of Crimea to Russia. In honor of the merits of G. Potemkin, Karl Leberecht (obverse) and Johann Wächter (back) made a nominal medal, which was later copied by many medalists, including Vasily Adrianovich Bezrodny (1783-1820), who worked at the St. Petersburg Mint since 1807.

On the front side is a portrait of the Empress to the right in a crown, laurel wreath, scaly shell with an order ribbon, in a circle “B.M. EKATERINA.II. 1787 - TIMOOEY. ZVANOV. (phyta)

On the back, a dotted line indicates the route of travel to Perekop and back, at the top in a cartouche "WAY TO BENEFIT", trimmed "B 25 LTO KINGDOM-1787.".

St. Petersburg Mint. Author K. Leberecht (obverse), F. Gass (back). Diameter 92 mm. On the front side is the chest image of the prince in a wig and a mantle over a scaly shell, below “CARL LEBERECHT.F” (Karl Leberecht performed), in a circle “PRINCE GRIGORY ALEKSANDROVICH POTEMKIN TAVRICHESKOYI, GENERAL FIELD MARSHAL”.

The reverse side shows the strategic plan of Ochakov and its environs with the positions of the Russian troops and fleet, at the top in a cartouche "TO DELIVERY AND COURAGE.", on the right above the bleed “G” (Gass), in the bleed “THE CAPTURE OF OCCHAKOV. FORTRESSES OF BERE-ZANSKAYA AND POBDA ON THE LIMAN-V, 1788. (yat)

In December 1788, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792, Grigory Potemkin was awarded the Order of St. George of the 1st degree for the capture of Ochakov, for the victories on the Liman and the capture of the fortress on the island of Berezan - a sword strewn with diamonds, also for these victories he received a personalized gold medal. The reverse side of the medal was cut by Philip Wilhelm Gass (1769-1854), who at that time was a student at the St. Petersburg Mint.

On the back there is an image of the Ochakov fortress, on the main tower of which there is a flag with the monogram of Catherine II, at the top in a circle "HOC DUCE NIL ARDUUM (Nothing is difficult for this leader), cut off" OTSCHAKOVIA-EXPUGNATA "(Conquered Ochakov).

Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin (1739-1791)

M.N. Chernova

Grigory Potemkin was born in 1739 in the village of Chizhovo, near Smolensk, into the family of a small estate nobleman. The Potemkin family was not known, and Grigory could not boast of outstanding ancestors. His father, Alexander Vasilievich, a retired lieutenant colonel, was distinguished by his quick temper and scandalous personal life. Being married, he introduced himself as a widower to the young widow Darya Kondyreva-Skuratova, who liked him, and married a second time. Children born in this union (five daughters and one son - Gregory) could not be considered legitimate. And, taking pity and yielding to the pleas of Darya Vasilievna, the first childless wife of Alexander Vasilyevich Potemkin took monastic vows. After the death of his father, Grigory was sent to Moscow and brought up in a family of relatives on his father's side. Potemkin received his systematic education at Moscow University. Among the best students, in 1756 he was introduced to the curator of the university, the influential nobleman I.I. Shuvalov, and then, probably, to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Years of study at the university were not in vain: Gregory mastered five foreign languages ​​(German, French, Latin, Ancient Greek, Polish), as well as Old Church Slavonic, had a deep knowledge of theological disciplines. But in 1760 he was expelled from the university without graduating. The official version of the reasons for the exclusion was "laziness and not attending classes." The comrades claimed that Gregory had been expelled for his biting verse pamphlet on a German professorship. Potemkin had to make up for the gaps in his education on his own. Possessing a phenomenal memory, he drew much information from conversations. His personal library consisted of more than two thousand volumes and was replenished annually, and its owner was brilliantly versed in the then European literature and philosophy. There were legends about his ability to speed reading and memorization. According to one of them, Grigory Potemkin dreamed of acquiring the then-famous "Natural History" by J. Buffon while still studying at the university, but he did not have the money necessary for the purchase. Then the comrades bought this edition together and presented it to him as a gift for his name day. Potemkin leafed through the book and put it aside, which greatly upset the guests. To this he replied that he had already read the donated book. Then the friends began to open various pages, read any line, and Grigory continued, thereby confirming the veracity of his words.

After being expelled from the university, Potemkin went to the guard. His high growth, physical strength, good cavalry training served him in good stead. He becomes the orderly of Uncle Peter III. From one of his colleagues, Gregory becomes aware of the preparations for the next palace coup. Soon Potemkin meets the conspirators and joins them. His task was to ensure the swearing of the oath to Catherine by the lower ranks. This role in the coup could hardly have brought Potemkin to the fore if chance had not intervened (later Catherine II and G. A. Potemkin liked to tell this historical anecdote in cheerful companies).

On June 28, 1762, during the oath, due to the haste in which the events took place, Catherine, dressed in the Preobrazhensky uniform, did not have a lanyard on the handle of the sword. Immediately a young stately officer stepped forward from the ranks and, saving Catherine from embarrassment, handed her his lanyard*. While the lanyard was being tied, the horses began to play, and when Potemkin touched the reins to return to the ranks, the stubborn horse did not move. Ekaterina and Potemkin had to go together.

* Lanyard - a leather belt (or braid) in the form of a loop with a brush at the end, worn on the handle of a saber, sword or broadsword. In battle, it was worn on the wrist and served to securely hold edged weapons.

Mind, erudition and good manners Potemkin already attracted the attention of Catherine. She remembered him. And after accession, she repeatedly awarded, among other participants in the coup. But soon fate for a long time crossed out the step taken by Potemkin in his approach to the empress. In 1763 Potemkin fell ill with a fever. He entrusted his treatment to a well-known healer, who applied lotions to the patient. From their use, Gregory lost his eye. From the resulting injury, the young handsome man was in despair, locked himself at home, stopped going out in public and even thought about becoming a monk. Over time, however, it turned out that the eye remained intact, just became lifeless. As for the impressive appearance with an eagle profile, light blond hair, blue eyes, it was not spoiled at all, on the contrary, there was even some kind of romantic touch that attracted admiring female glances to him. Court ill-wishers immediately gave him the nickname "Crooked".

During these years, Potemkin's career moves at its usual speed. He sits in the Synod as an assistant chief prosecutor, takes part in the Commission for the drafting of the Code. In 1768 he was promoted to chamberlain. But ambitious plans and a desire to achieve more make him ask to volunteer for the army in the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war (1768-1774). His courage and personal courage in battles won the respect and love of the soldiers, who were ready to go through fire and water for their commander. P.A. Rumyantsev, in whose army Potemkin served, spoke enthusiastically about him and invariably praised him. The commander-in-chief, sending Potemkin on vacation, even provided him with a letter of recommendation to Catherine. From that moment on, Potemkin was given permission to write to the Empress. Catherine, seeing in him a talented and intelligent person, begins to patronize him. He receives the rank of lieutenant general. Gregory did not hide his romantic attitude towards the Empress, and soon Catherine reciprocated. In the world they started talking about the new favorite of the Empress. He was at that time 35 years old, his beloved was 10 years older.

Almost simultaneously, Potemkin became Adjutant General, Lieutenant Colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment; assistant to the chairman of the Military Collegium, member of the Council under the Empress. Of course, raising Potemkin, Catherine was guided not only by her feelings for this attractive man. In the conditions when the Russian-Turkish war continued, Sweden threatened with military actions, the Pugachev uprising flared up, she needed a devoted ally, a reliable associate who would take on some of the heavy burden of state and military concerns. And Potemkin justified these hopes. Not a single more or less serious public matter passed him by. He became the author of many major political projects implemented in the second half of Catherine's reign. It was this wide and multifaceted participation of Potemkin in public administration that distinguished him from most of the favorites, the so-called "minion of happiness." Foreign ambassadors considered Potemkin the most influential person in Russia. Even having ceased to be a favorite, until the end of his days he remained an associate of the Empress, one of the "Catherine's eagles."

In 1776, Potemkin was appointed governor-general of the Novorossiysk, Azov and Astrakhan provinces. The development and revival of the Northern Black Sea region turned out to be connected primarily with his name. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783, he received the title of His Serene Highness Prince of Tauride.

During the governorship of Potemkin in the Black Sea Territory, its development proceeded at a rapid pace - they did not spare money, did not spare people.

The invitation of colonists, the construction of shipyards, the laying of cities, the construction of a fleet, the cultivation of orchards and vineyards, the promotion of sericulture, the establishment of schools - all this testified to the increase in the military-political and socio-economic significance of the region. And in this, Potemkin's administrative abilities were clearly manifested.

For Potemkin, this journey was not to be an exciting and interesting walk, but, above all, a political action designed to demonstrate to the European rulers Russia's achievements in the south. The treasury allocated 15 million rubles for organizing and conducting the trip. In the imperial retinue, which set off in early 1787, were the Austrian, French and English ambassadors, as well as the Polish king Stanislaw August and the Austrian emperor Joseph II.

The empresses carefully prepared for the arrival: they improved the condition of the roads, cleared the dunghills, dressed up the peasants, gave the yards a more well-groomed appearance *.

* There is an opinion that the prosperous picture of Russian life presented by Potemkin along the path of the empress did not correspond to reality, but was a hoax carried out by an ambitious and resourceful prince. At the end of the XVIII century. at the suggestion of Potemkin's haters, the expression "" even appeared, which eventually became a household word - as a symbol of ostentatious well-being.

In accordance with the idea of ​​Potemkin, during the journey of the Empress, the official laying of the city of glory of Catherine - Yekaterinoslav (the name of the city of Dnepropetrovsk until 1926) took place. By this time, Kherson was already turning into a large trading port, founded nine years earlier. An impressive view of the fortress, shipyards and an arsenal with cannons, a triumphal arch at the entrance to the city with an inscription in Greek "Road to Byzantium" - all these eloquent structures gave Catherine great pleasure, and the Austrian emperor Joseph II - a participant in the journey - unspeakable grief. In Kherson, the completed ships were launched and new ones were laid. The battleship "Vladimir", followed by two more frigates - "Joseph II" and "Alexander", went down the hissing and smoking fat into the water. Satisfied Catherine personally brought silver trays to the shipbuilders, on which money lay in slides. After leaving Kherson, Catherine visited Bakhchisaray, and the next day - Sevastopol - the brainchild and pride of Potemkin. Founded 2000 miles from St. Petersburg in the newly acquired region, the rebuilt and populated port city struck the imagination of contemporaries. A demonstration of the fleet was arranged for the guests, with ships going to sea. Built and fully equipped in just two years, the formidable fleet lined up in battle order and saluted Catherine II. Battleships, frigates, and bombardment vessels fired accurately at specially prepared mock-ups of fortresses and accurately hit targets. In the admiral's uniform specially made for her, the empress visited the flagship, where she expressed her admiration and delight to the officers of the fleet. Catherine was pleased with Potemkin's activities in the Northern Black Sea region and soon set off on her return journey. On June 7 the travelers arrived in Poltava. And in this city, Potemkin managed to once again strike the Empress's imagination: Catherine witnessed major maneuvers of the Russian troops, depicting the famous Peter's battle on June 27, 1709. The general leadership of the maneuvers, in which 70 battalions were involved, was carried out by G.A. Potemkin. This majestic large-scale spectacle filled Catherine's soul with pride and became a successful outcome of the trip.

The route accomplished by Catherine and her retinue once again clearly demonstrated the organizational talent and active character of Potemkin, became the moment of the highest triumph of Grigory Alexandrovich. It is thanks to him in Novorossiya and Crimea the foundations of horticulture and viticulture were laid, and the area under crops was increased. During this period, about a dozen cities arose, including, along with the mentioned Kherson and Sevastopol, Odessa, Rostov-on-Don, and Nikolaev, to which Potemkin assigned the role of the main Black Sea shipyard. The emergence of these cities was associated with the creation of the Black Sea Fleet, whose construction manager and commander-in-chief Potemkin was appointed in 1785. Faced daily with numerous difficulties (lack of professionally trained craftsmen and workers at shipyards, money for ship timber and shipbuilding, etc.), Potemkin not only looked for ways to overcome them, but also tried to create ships that had no analogues in other fleets . Potemkin's powers of observation suggested that frigates of the line and 80-gun ships with two decks should be built, and he proved the necessity of introducing these innovations. The naval battles of the second Russian-Turkish war confirmed the correctness of his plans. It was the superiority of Russian ships in terms of the caliber of guns that made it possible for F.F. Ushakov to use new methods of naval combat.

At the end of the trip to the Crimea, the empress ordered the Senate to prepare a letter listing the merits of Potemkin. Catherine awarded him the title of Prince of Tauride, and in honor of the journey, a medal was knocked out with a significant inscription:. The prince's ill-wishers were forced to quiet down and stop attacking him.

As governor of the provinces bordering on Turkey, as chairman of the Military Collegium, and as commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet, Potemkin did not remain aloof from the problem of Russia gaining a natural border along the Black Sea. It was obvious that the lack of free access and navigation on the sea held back the economic development not only of Novorossia, but of all of Russia. The international prestige of the country also suffered from this.

Since 1784, Potemkin began to implement a shipbuilding program designed to strengthen the role of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. At the same time, the restructuring of the army was going on, in which, in accordance with the requirements of military strategy, emphasis was placed on the cavalry. Due to these circumstances, a clash with Turkey was extremely undesirable, and Potemkin, being careful in international affairs, tried to delay it. Moreover, Russia's ally, Austria, was busy suppressing national movements in its empire and was inclined to delay the fulfillment of obligations. In these unfavorable conditions for Russia, in 1787 the war with Turkey began.

Appointed commander-in-chief of the Yekaterinoslav army, Potemkin faced a lack of recruits, difficulties with the approach of troops located 15 days from the border, the delivery of provisions, etc. At the beginning of September 1787, the Sevastopol squadron died in a severe storm, and Potemkin assigned a special place to it in terms of a military company. Catherine did not satisfy Potemkin's request to replace him with Rumyantsev due to illness. In desperation, Potemkin wrote a letter to Rumyantsev, in which he shared his panic mood. The letter was copied and made public without the knowledge of Rumyantsev, which caused Potemkin to be condemned by court circles, especially since many ill-wishers were biased in assessing military leadership opportunities and considered his appointment a mistake.

Under the leadership of Potemkin, an operation was carried out to capture the main Turkish fortress on the Black Sea - Ochakov. The long siege of the fortress (from the autumn of 1787 to December 1788) irritated the society, who reproached Potemkin for military mediocrity, ignorance in military affairs and neglect of the needs of soldiers. Meanwhile, Potemkin used this time to prepare the army for the assault and train recruits. An early and severe winter exacerbated the difficulties of the siege. By order of Potemkin, soldiers' tents were insulated, hot food was always prepared, guard duty was facilitated. Potemkin spoke out against the exhaustion of soldiers with drill, punished officers for beating soldiers. He gave the premises of his headquarters for the infirmary, while he himself lived in a wagon. Only when there was confidence in the readiness of the troops, on December 6, 1788, the assault on Ochakov began. Thanks to the preliminary preparation of the troops, the fortress was taken in less than an hour, while the losses of Russian soldiers amounted to 2.5 thousand people against 9.5 thousand from the Turkish side.

On the occasion of the capture of the fortress, Catherine II presented G. A. Potemkin with a field marshal's baton and the Order of St. George, I degree. Contrary to the opinion of the anti-Potemkin court group, the empress ordered to unite the Yekaterinoslav and Ukrainian armies under his leadership.

The following year, Turkish troops were defeated near Causeni and Akkerman, and Bendery surrendered. Potemkin's main attention was focused on preparing an assault on the impregnable Turkish fortress of Izmail. The implementation of the assault on Izmail Potemkin instructed A.V. Suvorov, opening before him, thus, the opportunity to show military leadership talent, and then petitioned the empress about his reward. Thanks to this perseverance, Suvorov was subsequently awarded the title of count, St. Andrew's signs and the Order of George, 1st degree. Introduced Potemkin to the Empress and F.F. Ushakov, in the future the famous military leader of the XVIII century.

After the brilliantly carried out assault on Ishmael, Potemkin departed for St. Petersburg, since serious disagreements with the empress were revealed in assessing the current situation. Catherine believed that Russia's military victories would force Turkey to soon sign peace on Russian terms. Potemkin had a different opinion, being sure that England and Prussia would try to prevent the signing of such a peace. And Potemkin was right. When these two countries began to threaten Russia with war, Potemkin urged Catherine to agree to concessions, since Russia, tired of the war, would not be able to adequately resist such strong opponents.

After five months in St. Petersburg, Potemkin left for the army. In negotiations with Turkey, he put forward more stringent peace conditions, agreed between him and Catherine. But he did not have time to put his signature. From a debilitating disease - chronic bilious fever - he died in the steppe, on the way from Iasi to Nikolaev on October 5, 1791. The body of the prince was brought to Iasi, from where it was taken to Kherson, where it was placed in the underground crypt of the Church of St. Catherine.

On December 29, 1791, that is, two and a half months after the death of Potemkin, peace was concluded with the Turks. The Russian side was represented by Bezborodko. The Kuchuk-Kainarji peace was confirmed, the annexation of the Crimea was recognized, Russia acquired the territory between the Bug and the Dniester. And finally: the inimitable city of Odessa was built on this land.

Potemkin, at the height of his power and power, had the most difficult, longest and most significant title. It sounded like this: “His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tavrichesky, Russian Field Marshal General, commander of all cavalry, regular and irregular, the Black Sea fleets and many other land and sea forces; State Military Collegium President, Her Imperial Majesty Adjutant General; Yekaterinoslav and Tauride Governor-General; Chief of the Cavalier Guard Corps and Yekaterinoslav Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment; actual chamberlain; troops inspector general; Artisan and Armory Supreme Chief; various non-believers living in Russia, according to the Commission of the newly composed code of the guardian; The Russian Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Alexander Nevsky, the military Great Martyr George and the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of large crosses, the Prussian Black Eagle, the Danish Elephant, the Swedish Seraphim, the Polish White Eagle and St.

Potemkin in the eyes of many contemporaries was a darling of fate, he was envied, and therefore hated. He was not spared accusations of squandering, since the funds he received for the fleet, army, and provinces were very significant. However, revisions made after his death found no abuse. Neither by virtue of character, nor by virtue of material wealth, Potemkin had no need to engage in embezzlement (for the Catherine era, a very characteristic phenomenon). Catherine constantly rewarded him not only with orders and jewels, but also with large sums of money. Potemkin's wealth aroused interest in court circles and was constantly discussed. And since in the XVIII century. personal wealth was the measure of everything, it was customary to demonstrate it. Potemkin spent money on the maintenance of houses, on the arrangement of holidays. His costumes were luxurious. For the splendor of the costume, Catherine called him "perruche" (parrot). Grigory Alexandrovich financially provided for his nieces, who were ladies-in-waiting at court. It happened that, obsessed with the idea of ​​​​implementing some kind of idea, Potemkin spent huge personal sums on state needs. So, for example, when during the construction of the Black Sea Fleet there was not enough money for ship timber, he harvested it for free on his estates.

For Potemkin, public service was always above personal interests. Being a favorite of the Empress for only a few years, he remained her ally until the end of his life. His relations with Catherine were invariably friendly and businesslike. Grigory Alexandrovich never allowed himself to go beyond the line of a loyal subject in public, which, apparently, was the secret of his personal relations as a co-ruler. However, the prince did not allow any servility, saying to himself that he always despises flattery and falsehood. Potemkin considered it his personal duty to the Fatherland and the Empress to carry out public service. Even a severe debilitating illness with its excruciating attacks was not a reason for him to retire.

Grigory Alexandrovich possessed remarkable strength and refined manners did not shine. Having cheered up, he became clumsy, which caused furniture and utensils to suffer. But the state of gaiety could quickly pass from him, and then Potemkin became withdrawn and unattractive. At that moment, his gloomy appearance made a repulsive impression.

Surrounded by numerous ill-wishers who constantly slandered for any reason, Potemkin did not differ in vindictiveness, was not vindictive, and often asked for his ill-wishers.

Unlike other Catherine's favorites, he never married. There is an opinion that Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin were connected by a secret marriage, which contemporaries did not know about, and few knowledgeable ones kept silence. It is also believed that a daughter was born from this love - Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina, who was raised by relatives of Grigory Alexandrovich. Her portrait by Borovikovsky is in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Potemkin's death was a terrible blow to Catherine; for a long time she could not remember and talk about him without tears.

Under Paul I, the memory of Potemkin fell into disgrace. Paul extended his hatred for his dead mother to her favorite. The name of Potemkin was forgotten for a long time. The burial of the prince in Kherson, the letter listing his merits were destroyed; his personality became the subject of ridicule and caricatures, and the activities of this influential person were evaluated extremely negatively.

CONTEMPORARIES, DESCENDANTS AND HISTORIANS About G.A. POTYOMKIN

Behold you, bravest of mortals,
Thoughtful mind,
You did not go among the known paths:
But I laid them myself, and the noise
Left for descendants
Behold you, O marvelous leader Potemkin!
G. R. Derzhavin Russian poet (XVIII century)

He was born with qualities that can benefit the Fatherland. P. A. Rumyantsev, from a letter to Catherine II, 1770

I see here the leader of the army, who seems to be lazy, but in incessant work, whose knees serve as a desk, and fingers as a comb; he lies still, but does not sleep day or night ... He is anxious in the face of danger and carefree when it comes, he is bored during amusements, unhappy from an excess of happiness, fed up with everything, soon disappointed, gloomy and fickle, this is an important philosopher , this is a clever minister, this is a ten-year-old child ... With one hand he beckons the women he likes to him, with the other he makes the sign of the cross. C. J. de Lin, Belgian prince (impressions during the siege of Ochakov), in 1780 de Lin carried out diplomatic missions of Joseph II in Russia

You are by no means a small private person who lives and does what he wants, you belong to me, you must and I order you to protect your health. I must do this, because the good to protect and the glory of the empire are entrusted to your care and that it is necessary to be healthy in body and soul in order to fulfill what you have in your hands. Catherine II, in a letter to G. A. Potemkin, 1787

For a decade and a half - from the mid-1770s until his death in 1791 - Potemkin was a key figure in Catherine's reign. To a large extent, thanks to the brightest, it became so brilliant and victorious.

Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin entered Russian history not as an eccentric without pantaloons, but as its imperial figure of a gigantic scale, not inferior in this to Peter the Great himself. He is

Never before, either at court, or in the civil or military field, has there been a grander and wilder courtier, a minister more enterprising and less industrious, a commander more brave and at the same time indecisive. He represents the most peculiar personality, because greatness and pettiness, laziness and activity, courage and timidity, ambition and defenselessness were incomprehensibly mixed in him. Everywhere this person would be remarkable for his originality ... This person can be made rich and strong, but it was impossible to make him happy ... What he possessed, he was tired of, what he could not achieve, aroused his desire. L.F. de Segur, Count, in 1785-1789 representative of France in Russia

This is the most extraordinary person I have ever met. Seemingly lazy, he works tirelessly. Each cannon shot, which does not threaten him in the least, worries him because it can cost the lives of several soldiers. Cowardly For Others, he himself is very brave: he stands under the shots and calmly gives orders. For all that, he is more reminiscent of Ulysses than Achilles. He is very preoccupied in anticipation of adversity, but rejoices in the midst of danger. Unhappy with too much happiness, disappointed in everything, he soon gets tired of everything. Gloomy, restless, then a deep philosopher, a skilled administrator, a great politician, then a ten-year-old child. He is not at all vengeful, he apologizes for the grief caused to him, tries to make amends for the injustice. The Empress showers her favors on him, and he shares them with others; receiving lands from her, he either returns them to her or pays state expenses, without telling her about it. His manners either repulse or attract: he is either the proud satrap of the East, or the most amiable of the courtiers of Louis XIV. Under the guise of rudeness, he hides a very tender heart. He, like a child, wants everything and, like an adult, knows how to refuse everything. Hunched, shriveled, plain when he stays at home, he is proud, beautiful, majestic, fascinating when he appears before his troops, like Agamemnon in the host of the Hellenic kings. Charles de Lin

He never used his strength, hitherto unknown in a nobleman, for evil. Not only the affection of the empress for him gave him power, but the moral strength of character and mind received by him from nature conquered everything; he was afraid not of what he was doing, but of what he could do. Abusive, abusive words, which many of the bosses allowed themselves, no one heard from him; it was not at all what they used to call arrogance. But there was something particularly offensive in his simple manner, his eyes, all his movements seemed to say to those present: "You are not worth my wrath." His lack of exactingness, condescension very obviously stemmed from his inexhaustible contempt for people, and the more insulting pride can be. In the woman with whom his fate connected, his wonderful mind found its application, and his heart - its drama. In his career, he gave all the best forces of state activity, could he count on public recognition after that? F.F. Vigel, writer, memoirist contemporary of Potemkin

I understand that this man, despite his oddities, could gain influence with the empress. He has a strong will, an ardent imagination, and he is not only useful to her, but necessary. You know the Russians and you will agree that it is difficult to find among them a person more capable of governing and controlling the still rude people, recently only touched by enlightenment, and curbing the restless court. Joseph II, Emperor of Austria in a conversation with the French ambassador Count L. Segur after traveling to the Crimea in 1787

One day, a rural sexton came to Potemkin, who taught him arithmetic and writing as a child, and asked for a position. Since the deacon was old, infirm, almost deaf and could not see well, Potemkin could not offer him any position and assigned the deacon as a watchman to the monument - "The Bronze Horseman", making him responsible every morning, when he was in St. Petersburg, to report on Is the monument still standing? And he ordered to pay his salary from his own money. The sexton looked after the monument until his death, believing that he was in the service, and not fed from mercy, receiving a pension. historical anecdote

Now there is no one to rely on. How can I replace Potemkin? Everything will not be the same. He was a real nobleman, an intelligent man, he did not sell me, he could not be bought. Catherine II, having learned about the death of Potemkin

New thoughts were constantly surfacing in his head. No one succumbed to other people's influence less than him, and he himself knew how to surprisingly manage others ... He knew how to give advice, knew how to fulfill it. He had a brave heart, a brave mind and a brave soul. Thanks to this, we always understood each other ... Prince Potemkin was a great man who did not do even half of what he was able to do ... Catherine II

There is Spanish, romantic and barbarian in this character. Prince de Lin

In any case, he was the most outstanding of Catherine's temporary workers, undoubtedly a capable administrator, an active and energetic person, spoiled, however, by side circumstances that brought him a high position, and therefore deprived of balance and the ability to balance his desires with reality. His undertakings in the south of Russia constitute his undoubted merit to posterity. From the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, 1898

Among the persons surrounding the throne of Catherine II, among diplomats and military leaders, legislators and administrators, among all dignitaries and advisers, Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin stood out sharply, who deserved the title of prince and the nickname Tauride. It was the most glorious and worthy adviser to the Empress, who left a noticeable mark on history.

Potemkin personified purely Russian nature with all its shortcomings, even vices, and at the same time with all its bright, so captivating qualities. Industrious and hardy, he worked tirelessly; smart by nature, he enriched his mind with many-sided knowledge, was one of the most educated people of his time and at the same time careless and lazy, capricious, depraved, sometimes a tyrant, but always a kind, sympathetic, humane person ... From the Collection of biographies of the cavalry guards of 1904 .

Potemkin was the author of most of the major political projects carried out in the second half of Catherine's reign; he easily generated new ideas and corrected old ones. According to the Empress herself, well-developed projects that yielded first results were especially dear to her and nothing could force her to abandon them. It was the combination of Potemkin's creative power and resourcefulness with Catherine's firmness and many years of political experience that made their union so strong and brought such rich fruits.

The journey of Catherine II to the Crimea ... was the reason for the creation of one of the most widespread and most false legends. She first appeared on the pages of the Hamburg magazine Minerva in 1797-1800, that is, after the death of Potemkin and Catherine. According to Potemkin's anonymous biographer, the idea of ​​going south was supposedly suggested to the Empress by her favorite Alexander Yermolov. This thirty-year-old guards officer replaced Alexander Lansky, who died suddenly and was hotly mourned by Catherine. If you believe the author of the magazine, it was he, wanting to "harm Potemkin in the opinion of Catherine, persuaded her to go south and see for himself the malfunction of the prince's administration." In fact, the trip began to prepare in 1783 immediately after the annexation of the Crimea to Russia. The journey was interrupted by a plague in the south. Yes, and Catherine herself, shocked by the death of Lansky (June 1784), for a long time could not gather her strength.

The anonymous author knew nothing of this, but confidently asserted that “Potemkin, having learned about Catherine’s intention to visit the provinces entrusted to him, was very frightened and even agreed that he spent the three million rubles he received for administrative purposes on his own private needs.” The Empress allegedly forgave Potemkin for this waste and provided him with a new loan for three million. But let's listen to the author: “The journey by water was undertaken at the beginning of spring, and at the same time theatrical undertakings began, with the charm of which only the Empress was deceived. But this deceptive appearance was given even more splendor when the Empress was traveling by land to the governorship of Prince Potemkin. Villages appeared in the distance, in which there were no houses, no churches, no bell towers, but were only depicted on a board, while others, lying nearby, only had time to build and seemed inhabited, but the inhabitants were driven over 40 German miles. In the evening they had to leave their dwellings and keep up at night to others, where they again remained for several hours until the Empress passed. Of course, that these people were promised rewards, but despite the fact that they did not receive anything. Many of them were victims of despair and exhaustion. During the night, cattle were driven in herds from one village to another, and it often happened that the Empress 5 or 6 times in a row admired one and the same. In 1804 the articles from the Hamburg magazine were compiled into a book. It was translated into English twice in 1812 and 1813.

Decades later, bibliographers established the name of the author who wrote in the Minerva magazine. It turned out to be the secretary of the Saxon embassy in St. Petersburg, Georg Adolf Wilhelm von Gelbig. He arrived in Russia in 1787, he did not participate in the journey, but with some special passion he wrote down the rumors and gossip that circulated in St. Petersburg. Catherine knew about this "interest" of the diplomat and achieved his recall... Gelbig's tales about the "Potemkin villages" and Russia's global claims became a belated shot in the information war of the late 18th century. V. S. Lopatin, modern researcher

It is to Catherine's journey to the Crimea that the famous expression "Potemkin villages" goes back. It is believed that Potemkin allegedly built colossal decorations along the road, supposed to depict non-existent villages created by him during the development of Novorossia. Leningrad scientist A.M. About ten years ago, Panchenko convincingly proved that the "Potemkin villages" are nothing but a cultural myth. But a special kind of myth. The fact is that, in fact, Potemkin did not build any special decorations, except for those usual for court holidays of that time. He really decorated real-life villages, decorated them with flowers, garlands, etc. In addition, the entire travel environment, again in the spirit of the times, was theatrical in nature and was designed for a strong effect. Before the eyes of the astonished spectators, a piece of earthly paradise was to appear, as it were, and since there really cannot be heaven on earth, a certain theatricality and decorativeness were perceived naturally, and the line between the real and the unreal was easily discernible.

But the fact of the matter is that Potemkin overdid it: the splendor and grandiosity of the celebration he arranged were so great that they gave rise to doubts about the authenticity of even what actually existed, created a feeling of the unreality of what was happening, a magical dream, a fairy tale. “What a strange journey! - said Joseph II to Count Segur, walking with him at night through the steppe in the sight of camels and Tatar shepherds. - Who would have thought that I, together with Catherine II, the French and English envoys, would roam the Tatar steppes! This is a completely new page in history! .. "

And then it becomes clear that the whole performance was not started at all for the empress or for the sake of empty boasting. He pursued very specific political goals. The first of them is obvious - the intimidation of Turkey, as, indeed, of all the others, was able to be intimidated at the sight of Russian military power. That is why the theme of the army and navy is one of the central ones in all travel activities. A. B. Kamensky, modern historian

personality in history. Russia - XVIII century. M.N. Chernova, Eksmo publishing house, Moscow, 2005. History beyond the school textbook.
Brikner A.G. "Journey of Empress Catherine II to the Crimea" Historical Bulletin, 1885. Vol. 21. Reprints of old books. Journey of Empress Catherine II to the Crimea http://bibliotekar.ru/reprint-46/index.htm

RAISA SLOBODCHIKOVA

After a ten-year stay under Catherine, the favorite Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov was removed from the palace and all the Orlovs lost power and influence on the empress.

There was an anecdote among foreigners in this regard: G.A. Potemkin climbed the palace stairs, and G.G. Orlov went down it. "What's New at Court?" Potemkin asked. Orlov coldly replied: "Nothing, only you go up, and I go down." Orlov was replaced by the handsome and clever Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin. None of the favorites of the Empress played such an independent role as Potemkin. He was the only favorite who became a prominent statesman, enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the Empress until the end of his days.

Historian M. Kovalevsky remarked: "He is the strongest favorite of the most fickle of women." This remark needs to be clarified: Potemkin acted as a favorite for only two years. In subsequent years, he became famous in a different capacity - he became a nobleman, an ally of the empress. Only the last favorite, Platon Zubov, was able to rise because he was no longer alive - "a friend of the heart of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich."

Potemkin immediately became the object of adoration and selfless worship and the cause of the empress's mental anguish. He opened up new political horizons for his girlfriend. With Potemkin she was always (even after others took the place of the favorite) it was interesting, with young handsome men it was cozy, cute and often boring. Let us add that each new favorite (with the exception of Zubov) took his place with the consent and submission of Potemkin. Therefore, the appearance of another favorite of the Empress Zavadovsky, on the recommendation of Rumyantsev to the Empress, Potemkin experienced very hard.

Very few letters from Potemkin to Catherine have survived. The Empress burned them. The surviving notes contain her answers or notes to Potemkin's words and are double letters.

"In addition to your countless blessings to me, you placed me in your heart." "Firm and strong," is the answer. "I want to be here alone, mostly all the same for the fact that no one loved you so much." "There is and will be." Potemkin: "And since I am the work of your hands, I wish that my peace was arranged by you, that you have fun doing good to me." Ekaterina: "I see and believe. I am glad with my soul."

She is afraid of losing her only chosen one. Having learned about Potemkin's intention to retire to a monastery, Catherine begs him to leave this thought, comparing it with a dagger with which he strikes his girlfriend in the chest, who cares most about his "real and permanent happiness."

Not only Catherine felt the irresistible charm of Potemkin's personality. Witty, active, courageous, he was liked by many, especially women. Ladies of high society wrote love letters to him, ordered medallions with his image. Both friends and enemies already during the life of Potemkin called him a genius. But in the eyes of public opinion, he remained a favorite, a temporary worker. His talents and merits were belittled in every possible way. There are no such fabrications and gossip that would not be spread about Potemkin.

No less gossip spread about Potemkin's love affairs. They told about his young nieces, who allegedly made up the "harem of a loving temporary worker." But from the letters of the nieces to their uncle, it is clear that the young provincial noblewomen, who suddenly found themselves in the position of ladies-in-waiting to the Empress, prudently used Potemkin's good-heartedness to arrange their own destinies. All of them made brilliant parties, became countesses Branitskaya and Skavronskaya, princesses Golitsyna and Yusupova.

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a fate more dramatic than that of Potemkin himself, After all, despite all his enormous wealth, in fact, he had neither a home nor a family. The Empress kept him in the Winter Palace, but Potemkin visited the capital less and less, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the cause of settling and economic development of new provinces in the Black Sea region.

Their safety, their prosperity became the main business of his life. "In everything you are extraordinary!" Catherine wrote to him. And he always confirmed this review.

To ensure the flow of workers to the south, he issued a decree according to which fugitive serfs were not issued to their owners if they crossed the borders of Novorossiysk and Azov provinces. This measure did not make Potemkin friends among the landlords, but it gave him thousands of enterprising working people. For ten years, semi-desert lands have been turned into a flourishing land.

There was another reason why Catherine did not want to part with Potemkin. The spring of 1776 reminded her of how precarious her position on the throne was and how important it was to maintain a policy of equilibrium in ruling circles.

“My late father,” recalls the Decembrist M. A. Fonvizin (nephew of the famous playwright), “told me that in 1773 or 1774, when Tsarevich Pavel came of age and married Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna. Count Nikita Petrovich Panin, his brother Pyotr Ivanovich Panin, Prince Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin, one of the bishops, almost Metropolitan Gabriel, and many of the then nobles and guards officers entered into a conspiracy to overthrow Catherine II, who reigned without rights, and raise an adult son. Pavel Petrovich knew about this, agreed to accept the Constitution proposed to him by Panin, approved it with his signature and took an oath that, having become king, he would not violate this fundamental state law that limited autocracy. The soul of the conspiracy was Pavel's wife, Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna, then pregnant. Under Count Panin, Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, the editor of the constitutional act, and Bakunin, both participants in the conspiracy, were trusted secretaries. Catherine's plot was uncovered, some of the conspirators were exiled to distant villages.

A new stage in the relationship between Catherine and Potemkin began in the spring and summer of 1776. The favorite, the man who consoled the empress at night and gave her good advice when she asked for them, turned into a nobleman of the first magnitude, an ally of the empress, the actual ruler of a vast territory. He ruled and disposed formally in the name of the autocrat, but in fact at his own discretion.

Already in February 1776, the empress and the favorite exchanged messages devoid of any intimacy: "I received your dry letter ... I will explain to you about the report when you do me the honor to come to me." In February-March, another evidence of the change that has come: "Please, I assure you, my sincere friendship and sincere affection will never certainly abide in me."

Usually parting with favorites, Catherine accompanied with generous rewards: money, serfs, jewelry, etc. This time, too, the Empress informed Potemkin that he had been granted the princely dignity of the Roman Empire.

From now on, Count Potemkin became the Most Serene Prince.

The fact that love has remained in the past is shown by Potemkin's letter to the Empress, dated February-March 1776: "Let me tell you, my dear, what I think, our trial will end. your good deeds to me, you placed me in your heart. I want to be here alone, mainly with everything that was before, because no one loved you so much; and since I am the work of your hands, I wish that my peace was arranged by you, so that you rejoiced in doing good to me."

In another message, Potemkin expressed his ardent desire to serve the empress: "My soul is priceless, you know that I am all yours, and I have only you. I am faithful to you in death, and I need your interests."
Catherine's correspondence with Potemkin continued for the next fifteen years. Moreover, it became more intense, because the correspondents were separated from each other by many hundreds of miles, and acquired new features. Chief among them was the official content of the letters and the disappearance of the former intimacy. Instead of addressing "dear dear", "dear and priceless soul", the Empress in the 70s resorted to such official addresses as "Prince Grigory Alexandrovich", "His Serene Highness Prince, Gracious Sovereign", "Prince".

The tone of Potemkin's reports also changed. At first: "Mother, empress", "most merciful empress". In the 80s, the appeals changed: "My dear mother, my darling", "the most merciful mother." However, Potemkin almost always ended his letters with emphatic politeness: "Your Imperial Majesty's most faithful servant Prince Potemkin" or "Your most faithful slave after death", and after the prohibition to use the word "slave" - ​​"The most faithful and grateful subject Prince Potemkin Tauride".

Sometimes the empress used long-forgotten words: "I love you, prince, and I will not forget you" or: "I myself, your grace, love you very, very, very much." The love words borrowed from the vocabulary of the honeymoon are now filled with a different content: "By the ears, taking with both hands, I kiss you, my friend of the heart." Potemkin answered: "The benefit of your deeds is as dear to me as my life"; "My dear mother, I love you unparalleled"; "... I am faithful to you, I am grateful to you, I honor you as a mother. For me personally, it is good and glorious here, where I can lay my stomach for you, which I not only did not leave, but also sought." "I spare neither work nor life"; "My dear mother, I really love you like a soul."

It was a different love, expressing the satisfaction of a faithful comrade-in-arms and student, recognition of the merits of a devoted subject and readiness to overcome any difficulties in carrying out the orders of the empress. It was Potemkin's business qualities, his inexhaustible energy, and the successes achieved in all spheres of activity that obliged Catherine to show maternal care for her student and colleague. The Empress was quite confident both in Potemkin's devotion and in his readiness to fulfill the most difficult or delicate task. "I see that you have flown everywhere on the dry path and on the water, and disposed of as it was necessary." “God knows that I love you and honor you, as the smartest and most faithful friend,” the Empress wrote at the end of 1782.

Potemkin and Catherine were aware of the need for each other, they complemented one another. Grigory Alexandrovich never forgot that he owed everything to Catherine. In 1789, he wrote to her: "You are my only mother, you elevated me from the first degree of an officer to a height, you gave me ways to be worthy." Recognition of the merits of Potemkin and the usefulness of his activities for Russia is embedded in the words of the Empress, who said that he does not belong to herself, but to the state and to her, Catherine.

Potemkin knew that he had many envious people and enemies, and asked for protection from the empress: “I am in your favor, so I don’t expect any harm to myself under any circumstances, but my envious people, in villainy, of course, will encroach. me from annoyance: apart from peace, I need to have a free head. The empress assured the prince: "Your villains, of course, cannot be successful with me."

Potemkin's activity in the south of Russia covered four areas, in each of which he left a noticeable mark. The most important of them should be considered the economic development of the Northern Black Sea region - the settlement of the region, the foundation of new cities, the development of agriculture on the once desert lands; three others - the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the creation of a navy on the Black Sea and, finally, the leadership of military operations during the Second Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791.

Of these areas, the most difficult was the development of the region, which required relentless daily care, which at first glance gave little noticeable results, ultimately culminating in brilliant success. It was here that the outstanding organizational talents of Grigory Aleksandrovich, his ability to determine the main directions in which to concentrate both his own energy and the resources at his disposal, first of all manifested themselves.
Potemkin was appointed governor of the Novorossiysk province by decree on March 31, 1774, that is, before the conclusion of the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace. According to this world, the fortresses of Kerch and Yenikale in the Crimea on the coast of the Kerch Strait, the fortress of Kinburn, which guarded the exit to the Black Sea from the Dnieper, as well as the space between the Dnieper and the Bug and vast territories east of the Sea of ​​Azov, went to Russia.

Recall that the same peace provided for the independence of Crimea from the Ottoman Empire. The importance of these terms of the treaty was determined by the fact that Russia, on the one hand, established itself in the Northern Black Sea region and secured access to the Black Sea, and, on the other hand, ensured the safety of its southern possessions from the raids of the Crimean Tatars, who formally lost the support of the Ottoman Empire.

The task of Potemkin, who since 1775 became the governor of Novorossia, which included, in addition to the Novorossiysk province, the newly formed Azov province, was the economic development of a vast territory. It was necessary to start with the settlement of the previously deserted region.

The emergence of new cities is associated with the name of Potemkin. Perhaps the most important was the city of Kherson founded in a solemn atmosphere in 1778. It was intended to play the role of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet under construction, as well as a port that connected Russia with the Ottoman Empire and the countries of the Mediterranean. The shipyard began to operate a year later - in 1779, the first-born of the Black Sea Fleet, the 60-gun ship "Glory to Catherine", was laid down on it.

On the bank of the Kilcheni River, Potemkin founded another city - Yekaterinoslav, designed to consolidate the glory of the empress in the development of the region. Four years later, there were more than 2,200 inhabitants of both sexes, two schools were created: one for the children of nobles, the other for raznochintsy, two enterprises were founded - leather and candle. Soon, however, it was discovered that the place for the city was chosen unsuccessfully, and the city was transferred to the Dnieper.

Regarding Yekaterinoslav, Potemkin hatched grandiose plans. He planned to create a university, an observatory, 12 industrial enterprises there, build many fundamental buildings, including a colossal temple similar to St. Peter's in Rome, "a court, like ancient basilicas", huge warehouses and shops.

All these plans were not realized, although houses for university professors began to be built. Of the industrial enterprises, Potemkin managed to start up only a hosiery factory, at which silk stockings were made for offering to Catherine, so thin that they fit in a walnut shell. The brainchild of Potemkin were such cities as Nikopol, Pavlograd, Nikolaev and others.

The main occupation of the local population was agriculture. Its success can be judged by the fact that already in the 1990s the region turned into an exporter of wheat and wheat flour, although so far on a modest scale: in 1793, more than 264 quarters of wheat and wheat flour were sold. Craft and industry enjoyed special care of Potemkin.
The governor of Novorossia pursued a patronizing policy, believing that "any new institution, especially in the region, which still does not have any masters, requires government encouragement and assistance." Progress here has been limited, partly because of a lack of minerals, partly because of an underdeveloped market, and partly because of a lack of the necessary specialists. Therefore, trades connected with the processing of agricultural and cattle breeding products were concentrated in the vicegerency; distilleries and tanneries, as well as brick factories, of which there were 26 in 1793, and the new towns showed great demand for bricks and building materials.

The second most important action of Potemkin can be considered his active participation in the annexation of Crimea to Russia. The fate of the khanate was predetermined by the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace, when the Crimea was actually surrounded by Russian possessions. The khanate had the only way to communicate with the outside world - the sea, but the Crimeans did not have a navy. The implementation of the plan to annex the Crimea to Russia had to wait 13 years.

Under the terms of the Kyuchuk-Kainarji Treaty, the Crimean Khanate was declared an independent state. However, independence was fictitious, because the khanate did not have its own forces to defend its sovereignty. In fact, the Crimea turned into an arena of rivalry between Russia and the Ottoman Empire for the Khan's throne: each side wanted to see its protege on it.

After the conclusion of the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace, Sahib-Girey, who was oriented towards Russia, became the Crimean Khan; however, relying on the military support of the Ottoman Empire, in 1776 he was deprived of the throne by Devlet Giray. Sahib-Giray appealed to Russia for help, and Catherine ordered Suvorov to move to the Crimea to restore the power of her protege. The situation in Europe and the Ottoman Empire was conducive to cutting the knot of contradictions in the Crimea, joining it to Russia.

Catherine's interest in the annexation of the Crimea was skillfully and energetically fueled by Potemkin.

In the end, Grigory Alexandrovich, who studied the nature of the empress well, launched another, perhaps the most important argument: “My unlimited zeal for you makes me say: despise envy, which cannot prevent you. You are obliged to elevate the glory of Russia. Believe me, that with this acquisition you will receive immortal glory and such that no sovereign in Russia has ever had. This glory will pave the way for another and greater glory: with the Crimea, you will also get dominance in the Black Sea. It will depend on you to block the passage of the Turks and feed them or starve."

It is known that the actions of Catherine, thoughtful and cautious, differed from the impulsive actions of the prince. But this time the roles have changed: Potemkin started a cautious, prudent and subtle diplomatic game, and the empress, on the contrary, expressed impatience, waiting for the prince to finally present her with a priceless gift. She urged to do it as soon as possible, "so that the Turks do not have time to put an obstacle to it. I ask you in every possible way: do not delay the occupation of the Crimea." But the prince was "delaying", intending to organize the annexation of the Crimea in such a way that the Tatars themselves would ask the empress about it.
Potemkin's slowness was explained by the fact that the ruler, who had renounced the Khan's throne in favor of the Russian Empress, was still in the Crimea and the Tatars refused to swear allegiance to Catherine until he left the peninsula. Potemkin explained another reason for the delay by the fact that "it was truly impossible without the multiplication of troops, because otherwise there would be nothing to force." The decree on the annexation of Crimea to Russia was promulgated on April 8, 1783.

On December 14, 1782, the empress gave the secret rescript on the annexation of the Crimea to Potemkin, granting him the right to publish it when she deemed it necessary. It provides a justification for the need to annex Crimea to Russia: in order to preserve the independence of Crimea, the rescript says, Russia must exhaust itself by maintaining a significant army near the borders. "Such are the vigil of the Crimean independence has already brought us more than seven million extraordinary expenses, not counting the continuous exhaustion of the troops and the loss of people, which exceed any price." For the publication of the rescript, the empress recommended using any excuse: the abduction of the current khan, who was oriented towards Russia, his betrayal, interference in the Crimean affairs of the Ottoman Empire. Potemkin took advantage of a more favorable reason for Russia to annex the Crimea - the voluntary abdication of the Khan from the throne.

"The current border promises peace to Russia, envy to Europe and fear to the Ottoman Porte. Climb a trophy not stained with blood, and order historians to prepare more ink and paper." This is how Crimea was annexed to Russia - without a single shot, without a drop of blood shed. In December 1783, Turkey reluctantly recognized the annexation of the Crimea to Russia. This allowed Potemkin to declare that the Turks "seem not to argue about Crimea." Catherine fully appreciated Potemkin's role in this action - he became known as Potemkin-Tauride, and in 1784 he was granted the rank of field marshal and president of the Military Collegium.

After taking possession of Ochakovo, Potemkin again asked for his resignation: “Please say,” he wrote to Catherine, “that now is not the time to think about peace. I, mother, did not write about bodily peace, but it’s time to calm the spirit. Worries are ubiquitous, vigil on several thousand miles of borders , entrusted to me, the enemy on the sea and on land, whom I do not fear, but do not despise. Villains, whom I despise, but fear their intentions; this gang of people ungrateful, not thinking, except for their own benefits and peace, of nothing, armed by deceit they create trouble for me. There is no slander that they do not build on me. " Potemkin's resignation was denied this time as well.

After taking possession of Ochakovo, Potemkin's position was so strengthened that he considered it necessary for the winter months, when hostilities subsided, to go to the capital to meet with a mentor and benefactress.

In St. Petersburg, he was received more than coolly, the new favorite Platon Zubov was afraid of Potemkin and tried to have the Empress send him as soon as possible from the capital. Catherine was powerless to object, and Potemkin's fate was decided, he fell into "black melancholy."

Having learned about the mood of the field marshal, Lev Alexandrovich Naryshkin invited his friend Potemkin to his house to unwind in a family atmosphere, where Potemkin met the heartfelt attention of all family members.

The gentle nature and kindness of Lev Alexandrovich Naryshkin created a friendly atmosphere in the house. Here there were always many poor relatives, pupils, hostesses, and young people communicated freely among themselves, without affectation and coquetry. Girls and young people joked, played pranks on each other, hoaxes to laugh together.

No one could compare with the father of the family, Lev Alexandrovich Naryshkin. He stood straight, dressed smartly and never looked tired. He was smart, witty and resourceful, his face always shone with a smile, with which he illuminated the whole house. With all these qualities, he awarded the children: the sons of Alexander, Dmitry and daughters; a special poetic talent went to the youngest daughter of Mary. All daughters adopted from their mother her good looks, grace and, of course, musicality. The Naryshkin family was distinguished not only by bodily, but also by spiritual beauty, the children had some kind of innate inclination towards art, each talent found its development.

L.A. Naryshkin loved his children, cherished their calmness and wished them all happiness.

Both sons, Alexander and Dmitry, married for love. Daughters, unfortunately, were given out by calculation and they were not all happy in marriage.

After the annexation of Belarus to Russia, Polish nobles, princes, having abandoned their estates, rushed to St. Petersburg in search of favors and positions from Empress Catherine. The Empress especially patronized the marriages of Poles with Russian girls and vice versa.

Therefore, three Polish rich men married three daughters of Lev Naryshkin: Count Sollogub - Natalya (1762-1819), Prince Poninsky - Anna (1768-1826). Son Dmitry married a Polish-born princess Maria Antonovna Chetvertinskaya (see Alexander I), son Alexander married the daughter of Admiral Senyavin Maria Alekseevna, a pupil of the Smolny Monastery, organized in 1764 by Empress Catherine II. After completing 12 years of study, Maria Senyavina, who received an excellent education, was granted a maid of honor in 1781.

The youngest daughter of Lev Aleksandrovich Naryshkin, Maria Lvovna (1773-?), was the brightest and most talented person of all the daughters. She possessed a charming beauty, a magnificent voice, an elegant figure, and with her dances she drove more than one man crazy.

The most striking admirer of her beauty was the outstanding Serene Highness Prince Potemkin, who arrived in St. Petersburg after a brilliant victory in the Crimea. Field Marshal Potemkin met the warm attitude of the owner's family in the Naryshkins' house.

The visits of the Most Serene Prince to the Naryshkins' house became constant, the prince came to life, rejuvenated, and in the world they began to seriously talk about the upcoming wedding. Mashenka was a beautiful, smart and talented girl, playing the harp and singing, with her sweet voice she fascinated everyone around her. Poet G.R. Derzhavin, who also fell under her spell, dedicated the poem "To Euterpe" to her, prophesying to her "a brighter future."

Sing, Euterpe, dear!
Hit the harp strings
You, since, young spring,
Sing, dance and shout.
Joy flutters like a swallow,
Briefly the nightingale sings;
Beauty, pleasantness, youth -
You won't see how it goes.
Time changes everything:
Birds ceased spring whistle,
Summer is rushing by
The leaf of green grass withers;
Autumn is coming, golden-haired,
Ripe bears fruit;
Red and yellow cassock
Will turn to ice soon.
Mars will get tired - and a favorite
Happiness will take your rest;
At your gates and porches
Courtier and hero
Gold rings will flash;
You with the consent of the father
Throw blue eyes
And set their hearts on fire
Mars will argue with the son of bliss
About your love for yourself
He will overcome the son of bliss
And you will like it;
Your qualities are kind
I love with all my heart,
Leaning on an iron shield,
He will take a nap near you.

The empress was immediately informed about the serious hobby of the field marshal. One evening at the end of April 1789, Catherine II and her retinue visited Naryshkin's house. After a dinner arranged by the hostess of the house, Marina Osipovna, Catherine played a card game with Potemkin, Segur and Naryshkin.

The youth danced. When Catherine left, the real fun began. According to Segur's review, "The young lady Naryshkina danced a Cossack, then a Russian, which delighted everyone. How smooth her movements, the movement of her shoulders and waist! She is able to resurrect a dying man!"

The Most Serene Prince undoubtedly shared the admiration of other men for the talents and charm of this girl. He talked face-to-face with young Maria for hours, setting out to her some political problem with which he was puzzled, she, sighing, repeated: "If only it were true!"

But Potemkin did not “nap” on the marriage bed, and soon after the Empress visited the Naryshkins’ house and after a conversation with the Empress on May 6, 1789, the field marshal unexpectedly left the capital. Only one empress knew about the day of departure, whose carriage blocked his path. He went out to the Empress, they moved away from the people to say goodbye. She burst into tears and said goodbye that she felt trouble in her heart. He comforted her, the one woman he loved more than anything in the world. According to contemporaries, they were in a secret church marriage, which, in all likelihood, Field Marshal Catherine reminded of, and until the end of their lives, none of the "spouses" violated this union.

You can guess why he fled from St. Petersburg, and his hope of finding happiness next to the charming Maria burst. He only for a moment felt free and happy. But, alas, nothing more promised him, he was faithful to the aging empress and forgave her everything.

Lev Alexandrovich did not doubt Potemkin's feelings and was glad that the upcoming marriage of his daughter with the most famous person in Russia would bring her happiness and great wealth and respect. But this did not happen.

The author of the monograph on Potemkin, A. G. Brikner, describes Potemkin’s stay in Mogilev in the autumn of 1791: “About seven o’clock, his sleigh stopped in front of the governor’s house. his unkempt hair, hanging in disarray over his face and shoulders, proved that this man least of all cares about his toilet... Greetings from the estates were pronounced in the governor's hall. bowing his head. Then we continued on our way, before reaching the Big Mountain, 40 versts from Yassy, ​​he became so weak that we were forced to transfer him from the carriage and put him on the ground right in the steppes. Here he expired. On the night of the same October 5, the body the deceased was brought to Iasi."

Although Bezborodko did not witness the last days of the prince's life and his death, for he arrived in Iasi to continue negotiations on peace after the death of his Serene Highness, he also compiled a description of the events, using eyewitness accounts. This description contains a number of interesting details.

Bezborodko said that Potemkin himself hastened his death by ordering to open the windows at night, feeling the internal heat, demanded that cold water be poured over his head, did not abstain from food, and refused to take medicine. When he felt better after a badly endured night, he ordered to be transferred to a large bed carriage in order to continue the journey. Having traveled several versts, he demanded “that they not let him end his life in a carriage and put him on the ground.

"There, he first lost his sight, and then expired. "After opening his body, an unusual spill of bile was found, even that parts of it, clinging to some insides, hardened." Khrapovitsky recorded every report from Iasi about the state of the prince's health. They called Catherine was in tears. Finally, by five o'clock in the afternoon on October 12, the courier told of the death of Potemkin. "Tears and despair," Khrapovitsky wrote. The shock was so deep that "at 8 o'clock they bled, by 10 o'clock they went to bed." the next morning “woke up in chagrin and in tears.” October 16: “Continuation of tears.” Every event connected with the name of Potemkin caused the empress to experience emotions and tears.

On January 30, Potemkin's nephew Samoilov and Count Bezborodko brought the ratified Treaty of Jassy: "They let everyone go and wept with Samoilov."

Most likely, leaving the capital and the court, Potemkin did not count on the restoration of his former position. In part, he apparently relied on the empress's oaths of eternal fidelity, which gave, albeit weak, but still hope to maintain her trust and his influence on her. But most of all, the prince hoped that in Novorossia he would gain the opportunity to fully express himself, to realize his talents as a statesman - he, presumably, was sick of the inert and monotonous life of the court, petty intrigues and the waste of his strength and talents to please the empress .

Potemkin acquired a new quality, and not an outcast favorite or a disgraced courtier went to Novorossia, but a nobleman, invested with the confidence of the empress, who was met and escorted off along the way with almost royal honors: triumphal arches, fireworks, dinners.

Catherine, sending the nobleman on a long journey, was not mistaken in him when she considered him a faithful servant, and Potemkin was not mistaken in the empress when he hoped to find in her a patroness who ardently supported all his undertakings and at the same time retained friendship and affection, but no longer like to a favorite, but as an ally. But he did not reach his destination and died on the way.

Maria Naryshkina was not destined to become the wife of such a "sovereign husband".

A potential groom running away without explanation was considered a disgrace to the bride and their family, but no one thought about it. Only a few years later (after 1795) she will be married without love to a rich and old Polish prince, twice a widower, Lubomirsky.

Maria Lvovna told her fate in the songs she composed:

Oh, what was it for, what was the point of walking in the mountains,
Ah, why, why was there a nightingale to wake up?
The nightingale, the nightingale has one song,
I have a young, I have a young, one old husband!

Her songs bear the stamp of great talent, which is confirmed by contemporaries. She grew up in a family of talented people, where there was always music, folk songs, trips to distant estates, where they listened to Ukrainian and Russian songs, especially in the Kursk province, which was famous for its "Kursk nightingales".

The poetess was sad that she had an old husband, she dreamed of meeting a "dear friend." Her folk poetry received wide publicity, fame, for example, some songs of Naryshkina Maria Lvovna were used in one comic opera.

The poet Derzhavin was also in love with Maria Lvovna and wrote about his feelings in the poem Anacreon at the Stove (1795).

Happen to Anacreon
Mary to visit;
Cupid between them
How can a butterfly fly.
The winged god flew
beauties all around
And his arrows are feathered
I put it on the bow.
Shot from her heavenly
And blue eyes
And with roses in lovely lips,
And on the chest with a lily.
But the harp is like Mary
I took the voice
And in golden strings
She let out her voice,
….
Anacreon at the stove
I sighed while sitting,
“Like a butterfly from a candle
I will burn, - he said - and I will.

Nothing is known about the further fate of the charming and talented, but unhappy Maria, the daughter of Lev Aleksandrovich Naryshkin, but her talent as a poetess left a mark on Russian literature.

G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky - an outstanding Russian statesman and military leader, His Serene Prince, organizer of New Russia, founder of cities, favorite of Catherine II, Field Marshal.

The great Suvorov wrote about his commander Potemkin in 1789: He is an honest man, he is a kind man, he is a great man: my happiness is to die for him.» Some believed that Grigory Potemkin did more for Russia in the south than Peter I did in the north. He was respected and awarded by the monarchs of Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Poland. The poet Derzhavin wrote about Potemkin in the solemn Choirs: He plays chess with one hand. With the other hand he conquers the nations. With one foot he smashes friend and foe, with the other he tramples the shores of the universe».

Catherine II spoke of Potemkin: “He was my dearest friend… a man of genius. I have no one to replace him!”

Coming from a family of small-scale nobles, Grigory Alexandrovich studied at the Smolensk Theological Seminary, then entered the gymnasium of Moscow University, showed his abilities, but soon dropped out of school because of its "monotonity".

Energy and ambition pushed him to change the place and fate in general. Without thinking twice about choosing a further occupation, Grigory Alexandrovich decided to decide on military service. Having gone to Petersburg, he entered the Horse Guards, and soon became a sergeant-major. Among the guardsmen who participated in the coup of 1762, which made her an empress, she was noticed and awarded. She granted him a second lieutenant of the guard and gave 400 souls of serfs. Trying to make his way in life, for a long time he unsuccessfully tried to get close to the Orlov brothers, who then formed the support of Catherine, and held various minor positions at court.
Having failed to get closer to the Empress, the young ambitious officer went to the Russian-Turkish war in 1769, fought in the ranks of the 1st Army General-General A. Golitsyn, distinguished himself in the defeat of the troops of Moldavanchi Pasha and the occupation of Khotyn, for which he was awarded the rank major general.

The one who replaced him as commander saw in Potemkin a promising and efficient person. He gave him the opportunity to prove himself in military campaigns. The young general acted valiantly at Focsani, participated in the famous battles at Larga and Cahul. He was the first to break into the suburbs of Chilia, distinguished himself by bravery in battles with the enemy near Craiova and Tsimbry, and participated in the defeat of the troops of Osman Pasha near Silistria. His awards for valor in battle were the rank of Lieutenant General, the Order of St. Anna and St. George III degree.

With his exploits and letters to Catherine, Potemkin attracted her attention. The Empress, in correspondence with him, insisted that he should not risk his life in vain, and a month after receiving this letter, Potemkin was already in St. , became "the most influential person in Russia."

Receiving the support of the empress in everything, Grigory Alexandrovich actually became her co-ruler, the closest assistant in all state affairs. He immediately took care of suppressing the uprising of E. Pugachev, organizing military operations against the rebels. Without staying too long in the capital, Potemkin set about a plan for the economic development and military fortification of southern Russia. In a short time he was promoted to general-in-chief and appointed vice-president of the Military Collegium, became a member of the State Council, a count, was awarded the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. George II degree, granted the princely dignity of the Holy Roman Empire.

Golitsyn noted: “The Russian cavalry has not yet acted with such harmony and courage as under the command of Major General Potemkin”

In 1775, Potemkin liquidated the Zaporizhzhya Sich with decisive actions and laid the foundation for the Zaporizhzhya Cossack army, completely subject to the Russian crown. In 1776 he became the governor-general of the Novorossiysk, Azov and Astrakhan provinces. The ruler of the south was considering a plan to fight Turkey up to the destruction of the Turkish state and the restoration of Byzantium. At the mouth of the Dnieper, Potemkin founded Kherson with a shipyard, supervised the construction of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), the development of the Kuban, and the actions of Russian troops in the Caucasus. In his hands was concentrated the management of all southern Russia from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea.

From the huge number of business papers and letters from Potemkin's office, one can see how diverse and continuous his activity in managing South Russia was. Although in all undertakings one feels feverish haste, self-delusion, boasting and striving for excessively difficult goals. As if on purpose, he overestimated the bar for himself and tried to step over human capabilities. The invitation of colonists, the laying of cities, the cultivation of forests and vineyards, the encouragement of sericulture, the establishment of schools, factories, printing houses, shipyards - all this was undertaken extremely sweepingly, on a large scale, sparing neither money, nor labor, nor people. Much was started and abandoned - the rest remained on paper from the very beginning. Only the most insignificant part of the bold projects of Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin was realized. But she was impressive too!
On April 8, 1783, the Empress signed a manifesto, definitively securing the Crimea for Russia. Potemkin's first steps towards the realization of this manifesto were the construction of Sevastopol as a military and sea port of Russia and the creation of the Black Sea Fleet, both military and commercial.

Potemkin was the first to understand the significance of annexing Crimea to Russia. He wrote to Catherine: “Crimea is tearing our borders with its position ... Suppose now that Crimea is yours and that this wart on your nose is no longer there - all of a sudden, the position of the borders is beautiful ... There are no powers in Europe that Asia, Africa, America would not be divided among themselves. The acquisition of the Crimea can neither strengthen nor enrich you, but only bring peace.

In 1784, Catherine promoted Potemkin to field marshal general, appointed him president of the Military Collegium and governor-general of the Crimea, which was named the Tauride Region. As president of the Military Collegium, Potemkin took care of the development and strengthening of the Russian army, carried out a number of transformations in military service and equipment of personnel (abolished pigtails and curls, introduced comfortable uniforms and shoes for soldiers, etc.).

In 1787, Catherine II undertook her famous journey to the Crimea. Potemkin equipped the entire route of the Empress, who saw the newly created villages and cities. Kherson surprised even the foreigners who accompanied Catherine, and the view of the Sevastopol raid with a military squadron was truly amazing. For these merits, Potemkin received the honorary title of Tauride.

There is an opinion that during this trip Potemkin was cunning and staged the results of his activities - he showed not reality, but dummies - the so-called. Potemkin villages. However, according to the researcher A.M. Panchenko, this was a “Potemkin myth” of a special kind. At that time, it was customary to lavishly decorate all court events. But the luxurious appearance of the settlements and the well-groomedness of their inhabitants were so amazing that they gave rise to doubts about the authenticity of the presented picture. However, the fact remains that cities and towns were built, the population settled down, and the borders of Russia were strengthened.

In addition, it was a serious diplomatic step. It was necessary to show foreign guests (including the Austrian emperor Joseph II) that Russia had a firm foot on the newly acquired lands and intended to support them in the best possible way.

In 1787, the war with Turkey began, partly caused by the activities of Potemkin. The organizer of Novorossia had to take on the role of a commander. The lack of readiness of the troops affected from the very beginning, and Potemkin, on whom hopes were pinned that he would destroy Turkey, became very discouraged and even thought about concessions. The Empress in letters had to repeatedly support his cheerfulness. Only after the successful defense of Kinburn by Suvorov, Potemkin began to act more decisively, and on December 1, the commander gave the order to prepare for the assault on the fortress.

On December 6, the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Potemkin took Ochakov by storm, receiving trophies - three hundred cannons and mortars, 180 banners and many prisoners. For this success, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st class; in honor of Potemkin, the empress ordered to knock out a gold medal. For victories on the Dnieper estuary, he was also awarded a sword decorated with diamonds, which was sent to him on a golden platter with the inscription: "To the commander of the Yekaterinoslav land and sea forces, like a builder of military ships."

In the order, Potemkin wrote: “Imagine the courage and fearlessness of the Russian army ... I expect with full hope a successful success”

After the capture of Ochakov, Potemkin left the theater of operations for some time in order to receive awards and glory, to establish himself in his position under the empress. Returning, he took care of replenishing the troops and slowly advanced with the main mass of troops to the Dniester. The Bendery besieged by him surrendered to him without bloodshed. In 1790, Potemkin received the title of hetman of the Cossack Ekaterinoslav and Black Sea troops.

Being an active and enterprising man, Potemkin discerned great talent and ability in Suvorov, who under his leadership stood out clearly among the entire Russian generals. In carrying out his war plan, Potemkin gave Suvorov complete independence in choosing methods of action. The commander-in-chief did not forget about rewarding the ambitious commander with awards.

At the end of February 1791, Potemkin arrived in St. Petersburg to resist the intrigues of another favorite of Platon Zubov, who frightened Catherine II with the omnipotence of the most illustrious prince. But he failed to achieve due success. The empress called the magnificent celebration arranged by Potemkin in the Tauride Palace a "farewell evening", making it clear to her former favorite that his further presence at court was undesirable. Potemkin returned to Iasi, where he dealt with the problem of peace negotiations with the Turks. But Grigory Alekseevich failed to bring them to the end. On October 5, in the steppe, on the way to Nikolaev, he died.
With great solemnity, Potemkin was buried in the Kherson he had built.

Potemkin's death made a huge impression in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. A wave of new anti-Russian sentiments arose. The British Parliament interrupted its meetings, and the Supreme Vizier Yusuf Pasha, who had recently apologized humbly to the Most Serene Prince, suggested that Sultan Selim III break the peace conditions and start the war again. The country has lost an outstanding statesman and capable administrator.

Today, a lot is known about Potemkin, but not the main thing. The “general idea” to which he subordinated his life remains a mystery behind seven seals. This general idea is by no means exhausted by lust for power and voluptuousness. Only eccentricities remained in the memory of contemporaries and descendants from a man whom Empress Catherine, stingy with compliments, considered great and brilliant: diamond buttons on a camisole, a hat so burdened with jewelry that an adjutant wore it behind Potemkin, inexplicable bouts of melancholy, half-childish love for luxury...

But after all, there was something else: Khotyn, Fokshany, Larga, Cahul and Tsybry, where Potemkin fought with the Turks and captured Turkish ships, then - the plan for capturing the Crimea, which the prince turned into reality, the governor-general in Novorossia, the construction of cities in a deserted steppes and, of course, the "Greek project".
This project was to, having mastered the Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region, destroy Turkey and place the crown of the revived Byzantium on the head of one of Catherine's grandsons - Tsarevich Konstantin. Catherine chose the name for her grandson, mindful of Potemkin's Byzantine plans, and the prince himself, quite unexpectedly for the empress, chose the capital for the future revived Byzantium. And not Constantinople, but Nikolaev, founded by him on the land of ancient Olbia.

Potemkin showed progressive views on national issues, rare for that time. Almost unique among Russian military and statesmen, Potemkin was more than just tolerant of Jews: he studied their culture, enjoyed the company of their rabbis, and became their patron. This conclusion was made by the modern Cambridge historian S. Montefiore, as well as a number of other historians.

There is a legend that has the qualities of authenticity, according to which G.A. Potemkin blessed M.B. Barclay de Tolly. According to A.L. Mayer, once G.A. Potemkin saw through the window of his carriage that a child fell out of a passing carriage. He ordered the coachman to stop, hurried out and ran to the baby. Taking him in his arms, he, fortunately, found that everything went off without any consequences - the boy (the future commander-in-chief Barclay) was completely unharmed. Grigory Alexandrovich, like all those present, was surprised at this, raised him high, proclaiming: "This will be a great man." At that time, the future commander was three years old.
Grigory Alexandrovich was tall, had a stately figure and a handsome face, which was little spoiled by an eye damaged in his youth. He achieved all the ranks and wealth
thanks to tireless work for the benefit of the fatherland and the empress. He had a contradictory nature: he was arrogant and courteous, generous and stingy, he loved both simplicity and luxury. Rumyantsev and, with whom he argued with fame, paid tribute to his mind, energy and statesmanship.

Surzhik D. V.,
Institute of World History RAS

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Potemkin Grigory Alexandrovich Updated: November 26, 2016 By: admin

Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin

Prince Potemkin-Tauride.
Sculptural portrait by I.Martos. Marble. 1794-1795

Potemkin Grigory Alexandrovich (1739-1791). The son of an officer, Potemkin receives an excellent education, studies ancient languages, history, philosophy, and is fond of theology. In 1756, together with other brilliant young people, he was sent by Count Shuvalov to St. Petersburg, where he was introduced to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

Being expelled from Moscow University for lack of diligence, he enters to serve in the guards regiment and takes part in the coup, for which he is granted 10 thousand rubles, 4 thousand serfs and the rank of lieutenant. Having become close with the Orlov brothers, in 1767 he participated in the work of the legislative commission, dealing mainly with religious issues and foreigners, whose life would always interest him. During the first Russian-Turkish war, he distinguished himself at Focsani, Brailov and Silistria. Having become a lieutenant general, he is one of Catherine II's close associates, and after Grigory Orlov fell out of favor, he is awarded the title of favorite, moves to the Winter Palace, receives the title of count and enters the Council. In 1776 he was appointed governor of New Russia, Azov and Astrakhan. Energetically set about settling these territories, he invites Slavs and Orthodox from the Balkans there and founds the city of Yekaterinoslav (1776).

Persons:

Catherine II Alekseevna the Great(1729-1796), Russian empress.

Potemkin Pavel Sergeevich(1743-1796), major general, relative of Grigory Alexandrovich.

Potemkin Mikhail Sergeevich(1744-1791), general lieutenant-general-kriegscommissar, chamberlain, relative of Grigory Alexandrovich.

Potemkina Daria Vasilievna(1704-1780), mother of G.A. Potemkin.

Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky Petr Alexandrovich(1725-1796), Russian military commander.

Graph
G. Potemkin-Tavrichesky

Grigory Potemkin is a multifaceted, interesting and, no doubt, controversial personality. Many, speaking of Grigory Alexandrovich, immediately recall the "Potemkin villages", others note the importance of his role in politics and public life of Catherine's times, there are also negative reviews about the character and pride of Prince Tauride. There were no indifferent among contemporaries. The empress herself highly appreciated Gregory and spoke of him extremely flatteringly, both during his life and after his death.

So Catherine II wrote to the German publicist critic and diplomat Grimm about the death of the Prince of Tauride, which, in her opinion, Gregory "did not fulfill even half of what he was able to do." In the same letter, the Russian Empress spoke of Potemkin as a responsible and consistent person - "he scolded and got angry when he believed that the matter had not been done the way it should have." Prince Gregory was zealously devoted to the empress. He became her not only a favorite, lover, adviser and student, but also a friend. Catherine wrote that Potemkin had an important and rare quality among people - “he had courage in his heart, courage in his mind, courage in his soul. Thanks to this, we always understood each other and did not pay attention to the talk of those who understood less than us.

The fame of Grigory Potemkin of Tauride spread throughout the world: the monarchs of such states as Austria, Denmark, Prussia, and Sweden treated the prince with great respect; even ill-wishers and skeptics recognized the significance of Gregory's contribution to the development of Novorossia. Contemporaries often said that Potemkin did more for Russia in the south than Peter I did in the north.

The poet Derzhavin wrote about Potemkin in the solemn Choirs:

He plays chess with one hand.
With the other hand he conquers the nations.
With one foot he strikes friend and foe,
With another he tramples the shores of the universe.

Mother's chores

Grigory Potemkin and Catherine II would never have met, if not for the natural curiosity of the future prince. Gregory's childhood was by no means simple, perhaps because the Prince of Taurida so boldly faced danger throughout his life.

Participant of the Poltava battle, second-major, Petrovsky staff officer Alexander Vasilyevich Potemkin, calling himself a widower, at the age of 50, married the widow Skuratova (nee Kondyreva). In his first marriage, Alexander Vasilyevich had no children, and the young wife, already carrying her first child under her heart, persuaded her first wife to go to a monastery to prevent a scandal. On September 13 (24), 1739, Grigory Potemkin, the future favorite of Catherine II, was born in the village of Chizhovo in the Smolensk region. The father, a retired major, a drunkard and a violent old warrior, brought up his heir, for the most part, by the method of assault. For this reason, little Grisha was brought up by Grigory Matveyevich Kislovsky, the president of the Chamber College and the uncle of the future prince. Alexander Vasilyevich died when Grigory was 5 years old, in 1746, then the orphaned family moved to Moscow.

Daria Vasilievna, who, in addition to Gregory, raised five more children, treated her firstborn with great trepidation. Moving to Moscow offered Potemkin the chance to receive the best possible education. It should be noted that the prince did not forget the aspirations and troubles of his mother. Potemkin, becoming a favorite of Catherine II, helped to improve her position at court, achieving for her the position of a lady of state.

Brilliant man and negligent student

Even in his student years, while studying first at the Litken private school, and then at the gymnasium at Moscow University, Potemkin showed himself as a man of unique talents and abilities. Phenomenal memory, sharp mind and natural curiosity provided Gregory with the glory of almost "luminaries of science." Potemkin quickly "lit up" with the idea, but just as quickly interest faded away. After a year of study at the university, in 1755, Grisha was awarded a gold medal for successful studies. A year later, Potemkin was introduced to Empress Elizabeth as one of the 12 most promising students. And a year later, Grigory "lazy and not attending classes" was expelled from the university. The reason for this behavior was the loss of interest in the sciences: the lack of authoritative personalities within the walls of the university, able to discern Potemkin's talents and develop them, led to apathy and laziness. Disillusioned with science, Gregory decided to make a military career.

Guardsman and conspirator

Young Grigory Potemkin

Potemkin and Catherine II knew each other long before Grigory became her favorite. Having the rank of commander of the Horse Guards, a former student in 1761 stays in St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that Gregory did not serve for more than a day, the young man enters the disposal of His Highness Prince Georg Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Colonel of the Horse Guards Field Marshal General. The prince did not impress Potemkin, after which the young man and his comrades from the regiment joined the conspiracy against Peter III.

On the day of the palace coup, June 28, 1762, Grigory Potemkin and Catherine II met for the first time. The young Gregory liked the new empress, because the young man received 10 thousand rubles, 400 serfs and the rank of second lieutenant, while his friends-wahmisters were content with only the title of cornets.

When Grigory Potemkin and Catherine II met for the first time, the young man was only 22 years old. The young man could not hide his admiring glances, which, however, did not escape the attention of the Orlov brothers. The love story of Potemkin and Empress Catherine II will begin much later, at the same time, the attention of the empress was completely turned to another Grigory - Orlov.

Young Count Grigory Orlov

From second lieutenant to major general in 7 years

After the meeting and personal acquaintance of Potemkin and Catherine II, the young man's career developed rapidly. Grigory performed various assignments and successfully coped with all duties while serving in the Horse Guards Regiment. By the personal order of Catherine II, the chamber junker Grigory Potemkin was to be present in the Synod "continuously with current affairs, especially at meetings." For some time, young Potemkin worked closely with the Orlov brothers. Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin - the current and future favorites of Catherine II, did not get along very well with each other. The ardor of the Orlov brothers is by no means a myth, therefore, when Potemkin lost his eye, according to one version, this happened precisely through the fault of the jealous favorite. According to another version, Potemkin fell ill and sought treatment from a healer who used dangerous herbs and drugs. In the course of medical procedures, one eye lost his sight, after which Grigory Alexandrovich began to wear a black bandage on his face, closing his blind eye, for which he received the insulting nickname "Cyclops" from the mockers of the Orlovs.

In 1767, both Grigory - Orlov and Potemkin took part in the work of the legislative commission. The future prince takes upon himself the solution of all problems of a religious nature, as well as questions of foreigners. For diligence in work and outstanding successes, Catherine II transfers Potemkin to court, dismissing him from the Horse Guards Regiment and granting him the rank of chamberlain in 1768.

After losing an eye, Gregory was seized by a spleen. Out of desperation, he even left for a year and a half in the village. Sometimes, he spoke about the desire to take the veil as a monk, talked for a long time with the ministers of the church, striking the latter with deep knowledge of theology. After returning to the court, he was openly bored. Awards, regalia and money no longer brought him pleasure. Young Potemkin wanted something "more". Salvation was the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war in 1768 - Grigory served as a volunteer and managed to gain fame in battle.

Colleagues and officers celebrate his prowess at the forefront on 19 June. In the Battle of Khotyn, a horse fell in an equestrian battle near Potemkin. By decree of the Empress, Gregory receives the rank of major general for "the shown courage and experience in military affairs." According to General-in-Chief Golitsyn, commander of the First Army, under the leadership of Grigory Potemkin, the Russian cavalry army acted so harmoniously and courageously for the first time in his memory. I was imbued with sympathy for the young general and Rumyantsev, allowing him to prove himself in the battles of Focsani, Cahul and Larga. It was Gregory who first broke into the suburbs of Chilia, repelled the attack of the Turks in 1771 on Craiov, and later defeated them in Tsimbre. The future favorite of the empress also played an important role in the defeat of Osman Pasha in Silistria. The war changed Gregory, and the empress noted this change: Potemkin was no longer an enthusiastic curious youth, he became a mature man who had experienced a lot and looked at the world in a completely different way. made an impression and appearance military hero - huge growth, mop of unkempt hair and a proud expression .

In just a few years, Grigory Potemkin, by the grace of Catherine II and his courage, won the favor of not only the Empress, but also many military leaders of those years. As a reward, the young officer received the Order of St. Anne, the Order of St. George 3rd degree and the rank of lieutenant general. It was under Gregory in 1770 that the first, and later traditional, feast of the Knights of St. George was held. Military successes became one of the reasons for Potemkin's popularity at court, so Panin openly sympathized with Grigory, while the Orlov brothers caused him obvious indignation. In 1773, by decree of the Empress, Grigory Potemkin arrived in St. Petersburg, where Catherine II immediately appointed him lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Grigory Potemkin - favorite of Catherine II

The love story of Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin began in 1774. This year became a landmark for Grigory in several directions at once: the former favorite lost his influence on the empress, and Catherine II brought Potemkin closer to her, granting him the rank of general-in-chief, appointing him vice-president of the Military Collegium and bestowing the title of count. The new favorite made a lot of noise - all the ambassadors and representatives of other powers began to scribble letters and reports to their monarchs about the new "case" of Catherine the Great. So the German Solms noted in correspondence that, in his opinion, Count Potemkin, thanks to his intelligence and insight, would be able to take a place in the heart of the Empress and completely replace Orlov. The Englishman Gunning described Gregory as follows: “His figure is huge and disproportionate, and his appearance is by no means attractive. At the same time, he knows people very well and is more insightful than his compatriots.

On May 30, 1774, Count Potemkin moved to the Winter Palace, and occupied the chambers adjacent to the rooms of the Empress. Potemkin got into the boudoir of Catherine II by going through a spiral staircase. In the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, Gregory was also given private rooms, but in order to get to the empress's chambers, it was necessary to pass a long cold corridor. Catherine warned her favorite: “Do not run barefoot forward up the stairs, and if you want to get rid of a cold as soon as possible, sniff some tobacco.” The favorite received the title of count on July 10, 1774, at the end of the year Potemkin was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

The count did not rest on his laurels - two years later, in 1776, Catherine II appointed Potemkin as governor of Novorossia. He is also appointed responsible for the colonization and development of Azov and Astrakhan.

Gregory supported the project of Catherine II to seize Turkey and revive Byzantium. According to the far-reaching and ambitious plans of the empress (which, however, were not destined to come true), in the revived Byzantium, her protege (at a later time, the grandson of the empress) was to rule. In the seizure of territories and the founding of cities, Potemkin was guided by geopolitics - each settlement that appeared on the map, be it a city or a village, served to protect the borders of the empire. Nomads, Turks, Tatars - all of them were both familiar and annoying enemies of the Russian Empire. To strengthen the southern positions and access to the Black Sea, Count Potemkin and Catherine II carried out a project to capture and annex the Crimea.

Rumors and myths about Grigory Potemkin

The whole court was occupied with only one thought: how did Grigory Potemkin conquer the Empress Catherine II? Some said that Gregory helps the Empress to distract herself from difficult thoughts and state affairs, amuses her and in every possible way cheers up. Others gossiped about his remarkable male strength and special passion for carnal pleasures. It was even rumored that the favorite Potemkin wielded black magic, so he drugged the Empress Catherine II and took possession of her heart and mind through a love potion.

The love story of Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin is shrouded in a large number of secrets, conjectures and rumors. It is not known for certain what their relationship led to. There is a version about the secret wedding of the empress and the favorite, but there is no evidence of a morganatic marriage. Grigory Alexandrovich was known as an unbearable jealous man, the Empress often justified herself before him: “No, Grishenka, it cannot happen that I change for you. Give justice to yourself: after you, can anyone be loved? I don't think you have anything like it." Perhaps that is why the Empress took a risky step by marrying Potemkin on June 8, 1774. According to the existing version, a modest wedding took place in the Vyborg side, the tiny church of Sampson the Hospitable. The ceremony was attended by trusted representatives of the Empress - Chertkov and Perekusikhina. No documents confirming the conclusion of the marriage have been preserved, but in the correspondence Catherine II began to call Potemkin "dear husband", she called herself "faithful wife".

There is also a version about the daughter of Count Potemkin and Catherine II. On July 12, 1775, the Empress left the festivities, citing pain in her stomach. The empress returned a few days later, built and cheered up. Presumably, it was in these few days that the queen was resolved from pregnancy, giving birth to a girl named Elizabeth. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Grigory Alexandrovich was interested in the girl, often visited her. The empress herself paid much more attention to her son from Grigory Orlov - Bobrinsky.

In the Tretyakov Gallery you can see a portrait of Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina, the alleged daughter of the Empress from Grigory.

All illegitimate children at that time were transferred to other families for upbringing, while the surname changed - it became shorter by the first syllable, hence "Tyomkina". The very fact of the existence of this woman is not in doubt, but it is not known for certain whether Empress Catherine was her mother. Based on age, the alleged daughter of Grigory Potemkin and Catherine II was born when the Empress was 45 years old, which is quite late for childbearing, especially at that time. The debate about whether Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina was the daughter of the Empress and favorite does not subside to this day. Presumably, the daughter was brought up in the family of Grigory Alexandrovich's nephew, who also witnessed the wedding of the empress and favorite.

Portrait of the daughter of His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tauride

Weaknesses of a strong man

Grigory Potemkin was distinguished by his eccentricity in everyday life. Those who entered the empress’s chambers often blushed when they met Grigory Alexandrovich there, because the favorite allowed himself to walk around the palace in a fur coat over his naked body or in a dressing gown, slippers and a pink nightcap. According to the courtiers, Potemkin ate something all the time: an apple, a pie, a turnip; I threw the half-eaten food right on the floor, completely forgetting about it. The young favorite allowed himself to bite his nails or pick his teeth when discussing important issues. Ambassadors, ministers and statesmen were deeply shocked and offended by such behavior, while Catherine was touched, calling the favorite "the first nail-biter of the empire."

The Empress repeatedly tried to reason with her sloppy lover, she even composed rules of conduct at court, after which she hung them up for viewing. Especially for Potemkin, there was a clause forbidding anything to gnaw, eat or spoil. Grigory Alexandrovich constantly scattered his belongings, and not only in his chambers, but also in the rooms of the Empress. Catherine complained: “How long will it be that you leave your belongings with me. I humbly ask, in the Turkish custom, not to throw scarves.

Despite all the shortcomings of the favorite, Catherine II dearly loved Potemkin, often going against her character and habits. So the empress could wait for several hours for the return of her lover in the evenings, since without him she could not sleep. Once the empress spent more than two hours in a draft under the doors of the favorite's chambers, waiting for him to finish playing cards and dismiss the people. Gregory often broke into the chambers of the queen, guided by personal interests, Catherine II, brought up in strictness, could not afford this. With all the seriousness of her temper, the empress found her lover's jokes cute and funny: “Darling, what nonsense you spoke yesterday. I still laugh at your speeches today. What happy hours I spend with you!

Catherine II was surprised at herself, realizing that she was behaving inappropriately for a queen: “Oh, Mr. Potemkin, what a strange miracle you have done, upsetting a head that has hitherto been reputed to be one of the best in Europe? It’s a shame, bad, a sin, to allow Catherine II to rule over herself with insane passion!

Despite all his desperation in battle, passion in love and sharpness of mind, Count Potemkin had his weaknesses. It is worth noting that the empress herself developed this very weakness in her beloved man: such is the royal love story - Catherine II always generously presented Grigory Potemkin (as well as other favorites). Titles, regalia, jewels, lands, lands, serfs - the young count accepted gifts with great admiration. It is no wonder that during the implementation of the Crimean project, the governor of Novorossiya did not deny anything not only to himself, but also to his "brainchildren" - the cities he founded.

According to rumors of those times, Potemkin's hat was so richly decorated that it was impossible to wear it, because the adjutant wore a headdress behind the count. In the presence of Empress Catherine II, Count Potemkin always flaunted in a skillfully embroidered camisole and with orders. With what ardor the governor chose jewelry for himself, with the same he made plans for the development of Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk), Kherson, Nikolaev, etc. Unfortunately, only a few of the plans were realized.

Ekaterina's personal correspondenceII and Grigory Potemkin

The correspondence of the favorite Grigory Potemkin with Catherine II was not only businesslike. The lovers wrote notes to each other several times a day, if they could not meet because of state affairs. Many letters have been preserved, all of them were included in a separate volume of Literary Monuments. The Empress addressed her beloved affectionately and passionately, inventing funny and cute nicknames for him. So Catherine II called Grigory Potemkin a treasure, a wolf or a golden pheasant, sometimes she addressed him as “Grishefishenka” or “my dear toy”. Potemkin was more restrained, and his correspondence with the empress retained only the addresses "mother" or "empress".

After June 1774, in personal correspondence, Catherine II addressed her favorite as “dear husband”, while the empress called herself “faithful wife”.

Court activities of Count Potemkin

Grigory Potemkin for a long time became the Empress not only a lover, friend, but also an adviser. Leading the military collegium, Potemkin was in charge of all appointments in the army - he distributed ranks, promoted him in rank, put him on a reward or punishment, and also solved everyday issues like sending soldiers and officers on vacation or retirement. As an adviser to the empress, the count took part in council meetings, considered the most important state affairs, and resolved issues of domestic and foreign policy of the state. If it was necessary to leave Count Potemkin, Empress Catherine II had a connection with him through correspondence, which did not stop even during periods of long absence of Grigory Alexandrovich at court.

The liquidation of the Zaporizhzhya Sich in 1775 was carried out on the initiative and direct participation of Grigory Potemkin, he also founded the Zaporizhzhya Cossack army, subject to the empress. In the same year, after the suppression of the Yemelyan Pugachev uprising, the Empress and her favorite went on a long trip to Moscow. The celebration turned out to be truly grandiose. Is it worth saying that Potemkin was in charge of its arrangement? A park for festivities was laid out on the Khodynka field: they imitated river floods by laying the Dnieper and Don streams, built minarets and fortresses, equipped fountains with wine, served bulls and rams roasted on skewers as treats. In the evening, fireworks were arranged, writing out the monogram of the Empress in the night sky.

Despite the touching and tender relationship, Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin were pragmatic people, their love story stretched out for years, but did not correspond to the canons. The complex, and at times, unbearable character of the favorite, saddened the empress, while Gregory himself, like any man, longed for activity. Therefore, in December 1775, Grigory Alexandrovich left the palace, but left as a consolation his successor, completely devoted to the prince - Peter Zavadovsky.

P. Zavadovsky

For active participation in state affairs and successes at court, the queen showered Gregory with gifts, ranks and awards: in 1776, Potemkin became the Most Serene Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, for concluding an alliance with Austria. At the solemn ceremony, Catherine II publicly declared Potemkin the smartest person, saying that "in Russia there is no better head than his." The Empress made sure that the favorite received all possible awards from friendly countries, she even planned to make him the Duke of Courland, but Gregory refused.

Despite the obvious disagreements between the favorite of the empress and her military leaders, including Suvorov, Count Potemkin did a lot for the army. In addition to the constant demonstration of personal courage and courage, Gregory reformed the army rear: he significantly improved the uniform of the soldiers - camisoles became lighter and more comfortable, canceled all cosmetic and fashionable excesses for the military - powder, curls, pigtails and wigs were no longer a duty for soldiers and officers. The count also monitored the supply of the army both in wartime and in peacetime - food, ammunition and all the necessary provisions were supplied regularly and without delay. A significant part of the military reforms of the times of Catherine II are associated precisely with his name.

Attacks of jealousy were replaced by blues. Grigory Alexandrovich either demanded that Zavadovsky be sent away from the court, or he fussed for his presence there. According to informers, Potemkin embarked on “unheard of debauchery,” while the prince himself, in correspondence with Catherine II, complained about their forced separation: “If it is determined for me to be expelled from you, then it’s better not to let it be in public. I will not hesitate to leave, although this is on a par with life for me. The Empress decided to divert her Serene Highness from woeful thoughts and appointed him governor-general of the Novorossiysk, Astrakhan and Azov provinces in 1776.

Potemkin - Governor-General of Novorossiya

G. Potemkin-Tavrichesky

Despite the difficult economic situation of the Russian Empire, Potemkin insisted on the need to conquer the Crimea. He explained this by the integrity of the territories and geopolitical ideas. Prince Potemkin in correspondence with Catherine II noted: “Crimea is tearing our borders apart with its position... Suppose now that Crimea is yours and that there is no longer this wart on the nose - all of a sudden, the position of the borders is beautiful ... There are no powers in Europe that would not divide Asia, Africa, America among themselves. The acquisition of the Crimea can neither strengthen nor enrich you, but only bring peace..

Going to Novorossia, to explore the desert lands, the prince left the court for a long time - for several years he simply did not appear in St. Petersburg. In addition to the laying and construction of new cities, Grigory Alexandrovich carried out a number of economic reforms: at the behest of the Most Serene Prince, a number of taxes were abolished, which became the reason for the popularity of these lands not only for Russians and Ukrainians, but also for Bulgarians, Greeks and Serbs. Grigory Potemkin intended to finally destroy the traces of the Ottoman Empire in the lands of New Russia by building the Greek Empire. According to the plans of the empress and favorite, after the conquest of the Crimea and the return of Constantinople, the grandson of Catherine II, Konstantin Pavlovich, was to head the new empire. During the years of the Russian-Turkish wars, as the lands were annexed, new cities were founded, built and settled, which became the centers of shipbuilding - Odessa and Nikolaev. It was here that the Russian Black Sea Fleet was born. Until the 1991s, Nikolaev retained the glory of the city, where the Russian, and then the Soviet fleet was laid down and built. The wild steppes were also mastered: Yekaterinoslav, Kherson, Mariupol - these cities were also founded by His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin. A maritime school was opened in Kherson. It was also planned to open a conservatory, a university and factories in Novorossiya. Along with the development of previously empty lands, all the time suffering from nomad raids, in correspondence, Potemkin continued to persuade Catherine II to occupy the Crimea.

In 1781, the prince became governor of four provinces: Saratov was founded. In 1782, the Crimea passed to Russia - the Empress signed a manifesto, after which Potemkin immediately began the construction of Sevastopol, which was assigned the role of a military port. The idea of ​​Grigory Alexandrovich was a complete success - Sevastopol remained the main military base on the Black Sea for several centuries. The last Crimean khan Shahin Giray lost power in 1783, and the Crimea was declared a province of Taurida. The same prefix was added to the name of Potemkin. In 1786, His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tauride concluded a trade agreement with France. Also, the favorite returned to theological projects, starting to work on the project of joining the Old Believers to the Russian Church.

The port and fortress in the Crimea were named Sevastopol

Tauride voyage of Catherine II

Journey of Catherine II in her state. 1787

Despite the absence at court, the prince did not lose his influence on the empress. It is noteworthy that all the favorites who visited the chambers of the Empress during the development of Novorossia and the Crimea were personally chosen by Grigory Alexandrovich. This happened as follows: the prince received information from trusted persons, selected young officers who met his requirements, and then ordered portraits of candidates, which he sent for consideration to the empress. The secret of this selection was revealed by the secretary of Prince Saint-Jean. Thus, the following were chosen for the empress: Yermolov, Zorich, Lanskoy.

In the spring of 1787, Catherine II, surrounded by a large retinue and a company of foreign guests, among whom was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Joseph II, went to the Crimea - to inspect new territories, evaluate the successes of her beloved Grigory Alexandrovich and demonstrate to enemies and allies the strengthened position of the empire. The spectacle amazed both the empress herself and her many guests: villages were formed on the site of bare steppes, instead of dilapidated villages, cities with stone buildings and developed trade relations flaunted.

Crimean notes: "Potemkin villages"

Often, recalling the trip of Catherine II to the Crimea and the development of the peninsula by Count Potemkin, sooner or later the notorious “Potemkin villages” are mentioned. There is an opinion that to heighten the effect, Grigory Alexandrovich built fake buildings and settlements, creating ostentatious well-being in order to curry favor with the empress and exaggerate his own successes. Some historians claim that all this is the slander of enemies and the count did not allow himself such a thing. Be that as it may, the concept itself appeared much later than Catherine II and Joseph II visited the Crimea, and besides, not in Russia, but in Hamburg. And this is how it happened.

Saxon diplomat Georg Adolf von Gelbig, who openly expressed his dislike for the Empress and her favorite, after the death of Grigory Potemkin in 1797-1800. published a series of articles on the count in the journal Minerva. According to the testimony of professor-historian Alexander Brikner, the hostility between the empress and the diplomat was mutual: Catherine II even intended to remove Gelbig, who was objectionable to her, from Russia. The articles published in the journal formed the basis of the Saxon's book about the affairs of Count Potemkin in Russia and the Crimea, in particular. The book was very popular and was translated into many European languages: English, Dutch, German, French and even Russian. Despite the ban on the book in Russia, it was widely distributed underground in the form of manuscripts. Georg Adolf von Gelbig described all the deeds of Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin from the negative side, blackening the person of the count as much as possible. This is where the myth about fake settlements for “window dressing” came from.

What the diplomat described in the book has many refutations and testimonies, both from Russians and from foreign contemporaries. For example, Joseph II, who traveled with the empress, wrote: “Here, human life and labor are not valued. We, in Germany and France, would not dare to undertake what is being done here ... roads, harbors, fortresses, palaces in the marshes are built here; forests are planted in the deserts without pay for the workers, who, without complaining, are deprived of everything. Alan Fitz-Herbert, an English diplomat who also accompanied the Empress, in correspondence with London, indicated that Catherine II was undoubtedly pleased with the trip and the results of the work of Count Potemkin, and the welfare of this region is truly amazing, given that just a few years ago there was lifeless desert.

Count Razumovsky, in his private correspondence, also admired the work of Grigory Alexandrovich. It is noteworthy that five years earlier, in 1782, Razumovsky visited the Crimea and was more than anyone else aware of the state of this region. After the development of the peninsula by Potemkin, Razumovsky wrote about his extreme surprise: in the previously deserted steppe, where it was not always possible to find scattered huts, now, starting from Kremenchug, along the entire Kherson route, there are full-fledged villages; in addition to residential buildings, there are fortresses and stone buildings, as well as an admiralty with ships ready and under construction. Razumovsky also pointed out the barracks for at least 10,000 soldiers and Greek merchant ships in the harbor.

Crimean Notes: "Amazon Company"

Count Potemkin, in order to impress Catherine II, who came to the Crimea to inspect new lands, gathered the "Amazon Company", into which girls of the noble class were specially selected. The reason for the creation of such an unusual "company" was the conversation between the favorite and the empress, which took place in the spring of 1787. The history of Crimea is rich in myths and legends about the courageous struggle of the Greeks against the Turks, the desperation of the Greek warriors and the courage of their wives. Count Potemkin narrated to Catherine II about the ancient battles with such passion that the empress wondered if Grigory could prove "their lauded courage." The favorite promised to demonstrate the answer in the Crimea.

In March 1787, Chaponi, the prime minister of the Balaklava Greek regiment, received an order from Potemkin to assemble an “Amazonian company”. This comic detachment was headed by 19-year-old Elena Ivanovna Sarandova, the young wife of Captain Sarandov. The company was assembled from the daughters and wives of the Balaklava Greeks of the noble class. For the amusement of the empress, the warriors were given uniforms: green velvet jackets and crimson skirts with gold braid; white turbans adorned with ostrich feathers and gilded sequins. Each young lady from the amusing company was armed with guns and three cartridges per fighter.

Amazon company meets Catherine II

The favorite of the Empress Grigory Potemkin did everything to delight Catherine II. The "Amazon Company" met the Empress near Balaklava in the village of Kadykovka. The Roman emperor Joseph II, who traveled with the empress, completely lost his head from the company captain Elena Ivanovna. The hot kiss of the enthusiastic emperor aroused indignation and anger among the rest of the girls of the company. Elena reasoned with her friends, for which she received a personal gratitude from the Empress and a diamond ring worth 1,800 rubles. Catherine also did not forget about the rest of the girls for the pleasure she brought, the Empress transferred for all 100 young ladies an unthinkable amount at that time - 10,000 rubles. After the departure of the empress, the company was disbanded.

Crimean notes: the first Crimean fleet of the empire

Black Sea Fleet of Catherine II

Count Potemkin managed to build a fleet for the arrival of Catherine II. Of course, the ships were built hastily, often sacrificing quality. When the squadron, which came from nowhere, consisting of 15 large and 20 small ships, fired a salute from the Sevastopol raid, the foreign guests were dumbfounded.

It is important that the Potemkin fleet, despite all its shortcomings, showed itself perfectly in the next Russian-Turkish war. After Catherine's trip to the Crimea, Grigory Potemkin received even greater fame, the rank of field marshal and the honorary postscript "Tauride".

Participation of the Black Sea Fleet in the Russo-Turkish War

The success of Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, no matter how ironic it may be, was the beginning of his disgrace at court. When it became clear that a new Russian-Turkish war was inevitable, the prince again became depressed: he complained about the lack of supplies and troops, said that the war had been lost in advance and it was better to return the Crimea to the Turks.

Assault on Ochakov

Nevertheless, the military glory of the favorite Grigory Potemkin was supplemented by several more victories. In the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. the prince commanded the Black Sea Fleet and the first Yekaterinoslav army. Field Marshal Rumyantsev received a second Ukrainian army at his disposal. In the summer of 1788, several months were spent on the siege of the fortress in Ochakovo - the bombardment and blockade did not give results. With the onset of winter, a decision was made to storm the fortress, in the positive outcome of which the commander did not doubt at all. Six days later, Ochakov was taken, among the trophies were: 300 guns and mortars, 180 banners and a large number of prisoners. The empress encouraged Potemkin's success by awarding him the Order of St. George, 1st degree, and the empress also ordered a gold medal to be cast in honor of the hero.

Medal named after Count G. Potemkin-Tauride

With the consent of Rumyantsev, Prince Potemkin led both armies. In 1789, Repnin defeated the Turks at Salcha, and Suvorov became famous in the battles of Foshan and Rybnik. Grigory Alexandrovich took Bendery. A year later, in 1790, the prince was given the title of hetman of the Cossack Yekaterinoslav and Black Sea troops. The headquarters of the commander Potemkin moved to Iasi. From there, His Serene Highness directed the theater of operations. In the same year, Suvorov conquered Izmail, Gudovich conquered Kiliya, and Ushakov defeated the Turkish squadron near Kerch.

In many ways, Suvorov owes his military glory to Grigory Alexandrovich - Potemkin in every possible way singled out the general among others, it was he who entrusted the most important battles, relying on Suvorov's wisdom and ingenuity and providing complete freedom of action. Also, the prince spared no rewards for his pet. In the memoirs of Suvorov, there are notes about Potemkin: "he is an honest man, he is a kind man, he is a great man: my happiness is to die for him."

On the Dnieper estuary, Prince Potemkin also distinguished himself, after which he received a sword, decorated with diamonds and sent on a golden platter, as a gift from Catherine II. The inscription on the dish read: "To the Commander of the Ekaterinoslav land and sea forces, as a builder of military ships."

The return of the hero to Petersburg was celebrated with great pomp. In addition to a rich reception, Potemkin received from the hands of the empress a laurel wreath, a richly decorated field marshal's baton and the Order of Alexander Nevsky. The Tauride Palace was also given as a gift to the most illustrious. Previously, the building already belonged to Grigory Alexandrovich, but was purchased by the treasury for 460,000 rubles. In addition, Potemkin received 200,000 rubles in cash and a field marshal's uniform.

Disgraced favorite

Portrait of Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov by I. B. Lampi 1802

A magnificent reception awaited Prince Potemkin at court, but not in the chambers of the empress. A new favorite of twenty-two years old, Platon Zubov, settled there. The Empress at that time was already 60, and the fading woman was ready for any concessions in order to keep the youngster by her side. One of these concessions was the removal of Grigory Potemkin from the court. The young favorite was not distinguished by his intelligence or talents in solving state affairs, therefore he could strengthen his position in only one way - to ridicule and denigrate the image of the most serene prince in the eyes of the empress.

Potemkin was reminded of everything: failures in military campaigns, wastefulness, the difficult situation of Novorossia, the plundering of the state treasury by him and his henchmen. Of course, among the accusations made were fair ones. Already at that time, bribery flourished, and funds from the treasury now and then went to satisfy the whims of private individuals. The prince's craving for a luxurious life sometimes looked frankly defiant. One day General Lanzheron visited his Serene Highness in Bendery. The following record has been preserved about the military’s impressions: “Gold and silver sparkled wherever you looked. On a sofa, upholstered in pink and silver, framed with silver fringe and adorned with ribbons and flowers, the prince sat in an exquisite home dress next to the object of his worship, among several women who seemed even more beautiful from their dresses. And in front of him perfumes were smoking in golden censers. The middle of the room was occupied by supper served on golden dishes.

the wife of the magician Cagliostro - Lorenz Serafina

Potemkin himself led a free, reckless life, and sometimes with an admixture of excitement. So, according to rumors, the Most Serene Prince seduced the wife of the magician Cagliostro. The designated lady was famous for her impregnability and fidelity to her husband. The Italian magician stayed in St. Petersburg for only a week, during which time Potemkin persuaded the lady to carnal pleasures on a dare. Also in the mistresses of Prince Potemkin were: the wife of the Polish general Sophia de Witt (the future Countess Pototskaya), the daughter of Admiral Senyavin and his own nieces.

Portrait of Countess Ekaterina Skavronskaya - Potemkin's niece

Varvara Vasilievna Golitsyna - Potemkin's niece

Gregory, after the death of his sister, took to his upbringing her five daughters. The girls were distinguished by their rare beauty and intelligence. The prince undertook to teach languages ​​and sciences to the daughters of Captain Engelhardt. According to rumors, the training course also included lessons in close communication with the opposite sex. Gossip in secular society on this topic was innumerable. Each of the girls was given in marriage when the time came, providing a rich dowry. While the girls were growing up, the prince's bedroom was not empty.

Not the last, but the "only" favorite of the Empress

If the secret wedding took place, then it did not calm the souls of Grigory Alexandrovich. It seemed that Potemkin lost his purpose and no longer saw the meaning of his existence. Increasingly, he fell into despondency, and there were outbreaks of aggression. Empress Catherine did not understand the reasons for such behavior, she tried her best to cheer him up - either with gifts, or with flattery, or with affection. Sometimes she scolded strictly, everything was the same - the count was inconsolable.

It happened that the favorite spent evenings and nights playing cards. Meetings with the queen happened less and less, the conversations of the favorite became more and more impudent and sharp. There were rumors at court about Potemkin's favorites and his passion for various ladies. At dinner, Potemkin complained to his nephew Engelhardt: “Can a person be happier than me? All wishes. All my dreams came true as if by magic. I wanted to hold high positions - I got them; to have orders - I have everything: I loved to play - I can lose without counting; ... I loved jewelry - no one has such rare, such beautiful ones. In a word, the minion of fate, ”after which Grigory smashed a plate of the“ precious service ”on the floor and locked himself in his chambers alone.

After lengthy attempts to return the old relationship, Catherine II announced to Potemkin that their love story was over and they should leave. When parting with Grigory Potemkin, Empress Catherine II told him that he did not become the last man for her, but forever remains "the only one." In many ways, the count really became a unique favorite: unlike the others, after parting with the empress, Gregory did not lose his positions, the empress, as before, listened to his advice and appreciated the count as a statesman.

Reception of Catherine II at the Potemkin Palace

Meanwhile, the prince did not give up - he decided to return the favor of the empress with wide and very generous gestures. So in the spring of 1791, the prince organized a solemn reception in the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. Empress Catherine II and three thousand of her subjects were invited. The rich decoration of the palace, with the use of precious stones and skillful decoration, captivated the queen. Catherine II saw her favorite favorite in the prince, who had lost the luster of youth, and changed her anger to mercy.

Despite all the shortcomings of Grigory Alexandrovich, Potemkin was necessary for Catherine II, as before, because she did not have a wiser and more experienced assistant in state affairs and will not happen again. Having removed the disgrace, the empress immediately sent the favorite to Iasi. It was in this Romanian town that peace was to be made with the Turks.

Death of Prince Potemkin-Tauride

Portrait of Potemkin shortly before his death

Having returned the favor of the empress, wanting to keep it and increase it, the prince hastened to fulfill the order. Repnin won a victory at Machin on July 28 and began negotiations for a peace. On the 31st, preliminary agreements were signed. On August 1, Potemkin arrived for negotiations. Of course, His Serene Highness was not pleased, and not only that the discussion of the peace treaty took place without him, Grigory Alexandrovich was much more annoyed that Repnin stipulated the points of the future peace treaty, not knowing the latest news, and therefore, missing out on the opportunity for much more profitable agreements. . There was even a public quarrel, at which Prince Potemkin, in front of everyone, expressed claims to Repnin: “You should have found out in what position our Black Sea fleet is, and about the Gudovich expedition; waiting for their report and learning from them that Vice-Admiral Ushakov defeated the enemy fleet and his shots were already heard in Constantinople itself, and General Gudovich took Anapa, then you could make incomparably more favorable conditions. All accusations were true. Then in society they said that Repnin preferred the interests of the state to his own, therefore he sought to personally finish the negotiations and not allow Potemkin to them. Some time later, the disputants reconciled, and Prince Grigory Alexandrovich even visited Repnin as a guest.

During dinner, Potemkin suddenly became sad and gloomy, which caused considerable surprise to the owner of the house. Repnin inquired about the reason for the prince's bad mood, to which he replied that melancholy and melancholy take possession of him suddenly and there is no definite reason for them. Also, Grigory Potemkin once again expressed a desire to become a monk and end his life in a monastery. To which Repnin replied: “Well, your grace, this is not a bad thing either. Today a hieromonk, a day later an archimandrite, a week later a bishop, then a white klobuk. You will bless us both, and we will kiss your right hand.”

With each passing day, Potemkin's condition worsened. On the way to Iasi, he caught a cold and the disease did not recede. Despite his deteriorating health, the prince continued negotiations. In many ways, it was the tense negotiations that contributed to the disease. At some moments, Grigory Alexandrovich thought that the negotiations would fail and there would be no peace at all. The Most Serene Prince demanded independence for Moldavia and easing the situation in Wallachia. At the same time, the Turks, numbering at least 180 thousand soldiers, stood on the right bank of the Danube. Potemkin dismissed any proposals of the vizier without even considering. The prince was ill, complained of a headache and foresaw a quick death.

A record has been preserved of an unusual incident that happened to Grigory Potemkin, shortly before his arrival in Iasi. Grigory Alexandrovich visited Galati, at the funeral of the Prince of Wirtemberg, brother of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Leaving the church, after the funeral service, the prince was waiting for his carriage, but instead of it, coffin drogues were brought up, which caused Potemkin horror and shock. Grigory Alexandrovich was distinguished by excessive impressionability and suspiciousness.

Death of the Most Serene Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tauride in the Bessarabian steppes

Death overtook Potemkin on the way, far from St. Petersburg and Empress Catherine II. Moving from one place to another, it was decided to stop for the night and continue the journey in the early morning. The lodging for the night was supposed to be organized by the commander of the Tauride Grenadier Regiment Knorring. The procession arrived at seven o'clock in the evening. The prince was expected, a solemn reception and a rich dinner were being prepared for his arrival. Already at the entrance to the place, the prince became worse, he complained about the heat and closeness. Entering the house, Potemkin ordered all the windows to be opened immediately to let in fresh air and continued to complain about the stuffiness in the room.

The last meal of the prince was plentiful, Grigory Alexandrovich, as a great lover of life and its pleasures, sought to prove to himself and others that he would still fight for his life. For dinner, the brightest ate a large piece of ham, several chickens and a whole goose, washed it down with honey, kvass and wine. Then he went to sleep. The weather that night was good, the air was fresh and clean, but the prince, as before, complained about the heat. Whatever they did to cool the room - all to no avail. At ten o'clock, according to the doctor, Grigory Alexandrovich calmed down and almost fell asleep. The departure was scheduled between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning, but the prince ordered to leave already between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning. We left in a hurry, the procession moved slowly - at a pace. Potemkin's condition worsened at dawn. He pressed the icon to himself, which he always carried with him, sobbed and, shedding tears, kept repeating: “My God, my God!”.

After that he announced: “It will be. Now there's nowhere to go: I'm dying. Take me out of the carriage: I want to die in the field." And so they did: they spread a carpet, brought a leather pillow, laid Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky in the fresh air under the open sky. The Most Serene One groaned, sighed deeply, then, suddenly, stretched out. Those around him knew about his illness, but it never occurred to anyone present that death was approaching the prince. Only one Cossack from the escort realized that Grigory Alexandrovich was leaving, said that he had to close his eyes. All that hour they began to look for golden imperials in their pockets. All the same Cossack found a copper penny - they closed their eyes.

Empress Catherine II, having received the news of the death of her favorite Grigory Potemkin, was broken. The empress's secretary noted in her diary: tears and despair. Also, according to Khrapovitsky's notes, the Empress kept crying, did not receive anyone and did not appear in public herself. Platon Zubov, many years later, said: “Although I defeated him by half, I could not completely eliminate him from my path. And it was necessary to eliminate it, because the Empress herself always went to meet his desires and was simply afraid of him, like a demanding spouse. She only loved me and often pointed to Potemkin so that I could take an example from him.

His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tavrichesky died on October 16, 1791, at the age of 52, in the Principality of Moldavia on the way from Iasi to Nikolaev. The ashes of the prince are buried in the Cathedral of St. Catherine, located in the Kherson fortress and built on the orders of Potemkin himself. Catherine II wrote about Potemkin: “He was my dearest friend… a man of genius. I have no one to replace him!” Empress Catherine II survived Grigory Potemkin by 5 years, and this is how their love story ended.

In 1798, when Emperor Paul I, the son of Catherine II and Peter III, ascended the throne, the grave of Grigory Alexandrovich was devastated. The new emperor for many years accumulated anger at his mother's favorite, therefore he tried with all his might to denigrate the memory of that and erase all traces of his glory. The crypt was destroyed and covered up, there were rumors that the ashes were buried somewhere in a moat near the fortress. However, on July 4, 1818, Archbishop Job, with the testimony of several confessors, dug up the vault of the crypt and found a coffin in which, upon opening, the remains of the Most Serene Prince were found. Decades later, in 1859, a skull and several bones were removed from the filled-in crypt, transferred to a special box and left there. Much later, the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities began to investigate the grave of Grigory Potemkin. In 1873-1874. the commission carried out excavations and removed from the crypt: a box with a skull and bones, parts of a wooden and lead coffin, pieces of zloty decorations, silver staples, stars of the 1st degree of Saints Andrew, Vladimir and George.

Full title of Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin:

“Mr. Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the Yekaterinoslav and Ukrainian Army, all regular and irregular light cavalry, the Black Sea Fleet and many other land and sea military forces, Senator, President of the State Military Collegium, Yekaterinoslav, Tauride and Kharkov Governor-General, Her Imperial Majesty General Adjutant, Troops Inspector General, Acting Chamberlain, Lieutenant Colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Corps of the Cavalry Guards, Yekaterinoslav Cuirassier, Smolensk Dragoon and Yekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiments Chief, Chief of the Armory Workshop, and Orders of the Russian Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Alexander Nevsky and the military holy great martyr and victorious George, and the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the first degrees, foreign royal Prussian black eagle, Dacian elephant, Swedish seraphim, Polish white eagle, St. Stanislav and Grand Duke Golstinsky of St. Anne Cavalier, Count Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin Prince of Tauride of the Holy Roman Empire. (the spelling of the 18th century has been preserved).
It was the longest title in Russia in the 18th century. after the imperial