[poh-tem-kin, puh-; Russ. puh-tyawm-kyin] 
| Prince Gri⋅go⋅ri A⋅le⋅ksan⋅dro⋅vich [gri-gawr-ee al-ig-zan-druh-vich, -zahn-; Russ. gryi-gaw-ryee uh-lyi-ksahn-druh-vyich] , 1739–91, Russian statesman and favorite of Catherine II. |
| grigori potemkin | |
noun | |
| 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) [syn: Potemkin] |
kɪn