The Prince of Princes

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Prince Grigory Potemkin was Catherine the Great's lover, secret husband, and co-ruler of the Russian Empire. Their tumultuous affair led to a unique arrangement that allowed them to share power while pursuing other romantic interests, yet their love for each other remained unwavering. Potemkin was an exceptional statesman, credited with winning the Crimea, founding the Black Sea Fleet, reforming the Cossacks, and planning cities like Sebastopol and Odessa, thus elevating Russia as a Near Eastern power. He embodied the duality of Russia—volatile yet charming, handsome, and always surprising. His extravagant lifestyle captivated and scandalized Europe, though he often dismissed his own achievements. Surrounded by a cosmopolitan court that included notable Americans like Admiral John Paul Jones, Potemkin's influence extended beyond Russia. An avid Anglophile, he commissioned works from Joshua Reynolds and created English gardens during his travels. In 1787, he orchestrated a lavish river tour for Catherine in Crimea, likened to Cleopatra's grand processions. His detractors accused him of staging "Potemkin villages," a myth this biography dispels through extensive research. It vividly portrays Potemkin's loving partnership with Catherine and reinstates him as a significant figure of the eighteenth century. Upon his death, Catherine mourned deeply, declaring that there could never be another like him.