Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov (Grigory Graf von Orlow) (1734–1783) was the favoriteof Catherine the Great of Russia who presumably fathered her son. He led the coup which overthrew Catherine's husband Peter III of Russia, and installed Catherine as empress. For some years, he was virtually co-ruler with her, but his repeated infidelities and the enmity of Catherine's other advisers led to his fall from power.
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski was a Russian military leader, statesman, nobleman and favourite of Catherine the Great. He died during negotiations over the Treaty of Jassy, which ended a war with the Ottoman Empire that he had overseen. Potemkin was born into a family of middle-income noble landowners. He first attracted Catherine's favor for helping in her 1762 coup, then distinguished himself as a military commander in the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). He became Catherine's lover, favorite and possibly her consort. After their passion cooled, he remained her lifelong friend and favored statesman. Catherine obtained for him the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empireand gave him the title of Prince of the Russian Empire among many others: he was both a Grand Admiral and the head of all of Russia's land and irregular forces. Potemkin's achievements include the peaceful annexationof the Crimea (1783) and the successful second Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792).
But who was this Catherine The Great? Throughout my stay in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, I noticed Catherine II, better known as Catherine The Great, was and still is an extremely important figure in Russia. She is one of history’s greatest female rulers, an intelligent, ruthless and ambitious Empress who reigned over Russia for some 34 years, establishing herself as the most powerful woman of her time. Catherine the Great dragged Russia into the modern world, expanded its borders, championed the arts and restructured its laws, revitalising Russia in the process and enabling it to become a powerhouse in global politics. Catherine’s reign is often portrayed as the ‘Golden Age of Russia’. If you’re interested in reading more about her, visit: https://www.history.co.uk/article/historys-greatest-love-affair-catherine-the-great-and-grigory-potemkin.
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