Crimean journey of Catherine the Great

The Crimean journey of Catherine the Great (Russian: Путешествие Екатерины II в Крым, also known as Таврический вояж (Taurida Voyage) at the time) was a six-month (January 2, 1787 — July 11, 1787) inspection trip of Catherine II of Russia to the newly acquired lands of New Russia and Crimea, gained as a result of the victorious wars against the Ottoman Empire (1735–39 and 1768–74) and peace treaties with the Cossack Hetmanate followed by the forced liquidation of free Zaporizhian Sich. The trip was carried out with her court and several ambassadors. During the trip she met with the Austrian emperor Joseph II, travelling incognito. The trip was arranged by Gregory Potemkin, a favorite and lover of Catherine II. The trip happened when the Russo-Turkish War (1787–92) was just about to erupt.[1]

A night illumination in honor of Catherine the Great on the Dnieper River

Since these times the expression "Potemkin village" came into being, referring to the legend[2] about fake villages hastily erected by Potemkin along the Catherine's route, in order to impress the Empress.

References
  1. Alexander Brückner, Potyomkin, С.-Петербург. Издание К.Л. Риккера 1891, Chapter V: Путешествие Екатерины (1787 г.) Archived 2008-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Did "Potemkin villages" really exist?", Straight Dope

Further reading


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