Who was Grigory Potemkin? The creator of “Potemkin villages”? Favorite of Empress Catherine the Great? He not only took part in the coup that brought Catherine to the throne, but also became her closest adviser. An intelligent and competent statesman, he also proved himself to be an excellent strategist during the Russian-Turkish war. And at the same time he remained the most mysterious and controversial person in the history of Catherine’s “golden age”. In the book, the author tells the fascinating story of the rapid rise of Grigory Potemkin - one of the most brilliant and magnificent figures of Europe in the 18th century. The book is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in the history of Russia.