A Russian officer and politician who was a favorite of Catherine II and in 1762 helped her to seize power; when she visited the Crimea in 1787 he gave the order for sham villages to be built (1739-1791). Synonyms: Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, Grigori Potemkin, Grigori Potyokin, Potyokin.
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