# Potemkin



## Foxbat (May 27, 2004)

I've just finished a fascinating biography of this man (by Simon Sebag Montefiore) and come to the conclusion that this was a character to whom, history has done a disservice. He is certainly worth looking into - a man who was both warrior and humanitarian, the father of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, lover and secret consort to Catherine The Great (she would not have been nearly so great without him), builder of cities, extender of the empire, moderniser of the Russian army. He never ever lost a battle. A great man lost to the petty jealousy of his contemporaries and second-rate historians. 

On top of that, he could consume vast quantities of wine and eat a whole salted Goose in one sitting. My kind of historical hero  

If, like me, you were ignorant of his achievements, he's worth reading about.
When he died, the Cossacks wept and planted a spear on the Steppes to mark his passing. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody has made a film about this guy.


----------



## Hypes (May 27, 2004)

I think I read something about this Potemkin character on The Straight Dope. Will have to check this out.


----------



## Brian G Turner (May 28, 2004)

Hypes, you were at SDMB? Was there was for a while, but only around 200 posts. Know some great people from there.

 As for Potempkin - well, I'll put making a film about the man on my to-do list, but it'll have to come after Dostoyevsky's "the Possessed".


----------



## Hypes (May 28, 2004)

I'm a regular reader of Cecil's, but I fear I've made few excursions to the forums themselves.


----------



## Foxbat (May 28, 2004)

Here's a fascinating fact: he was a great music lover and changed his orchestras like we change CDs today. In 1792, not long before he died, he was offered a composer who had become unsettled in his place elsewhere. Unfortunately, Potemkin died before the deal could be struck. The composer died not long after - his name was Mozart.

My fascinating fact for the day.....and for my next trick, I'm off to feed my hungry face


----------



## Brian G Turner (May 29, 2004)

He does sound enigmatic.


----------



## sventitsleyf (Apr 15, 2007)

I said:


> Hypes, you were at SDMB? Was there was for a while, but only around 200 posts. Know some great people from there.
> 
> As for Potempkin - well, I'll put making a film about the man on my to-do list, but it'll have to come after Dostoyevsky's "the Possessed".


 
I'm study in Dnipropetrovsk it was named Katerinoslav at his times (Potempkin), and I visited his palace - now it belongs to our Uneversity.


----------

