Potemkin

Po·tem·kin  (p-tmkn, p-, p-tyôm-), Grigori Aleksandrovich 1739-1791.

Russian army officer and politician. The lover of Catherine II, he helped her seize power in 1762.

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Potemkin, Potyomkin [pɒˈtɛmkɪn (Russian) paˈtjɔmkin]

n

1. (Biographies / Potemkin, Grigori Aleksandrovich (1739-1791) M, Russian, MILITARY: soldier, POLITICS: statesman) Grigori Aleksandrovich (griˈgɔrij alɪkˈsandrəvitʃ). 1739-91, Russian soldier and statesman; lover of Catherine II, whose favourite he remained until his death

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) apparently impressive but actually sham or artificial North Korea's Potemkin hospital

[after the Russian statesman Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin (1739-91), who is reputed to have erected sham villages along the route of the Empress Catherine II's 1787 tour of the Crimea]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Potemkin - 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) Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, Grigori Potemkin, Grigori Potyokin, Potyokin military officer, officer - any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command; "an officer is responsible for the lives of his men" pol, political leader, politico, politician - a person active in party politics