Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Pavel Sergeevich Potemkin, sometimes spelled Potyomkin or Potiomkin (; 1743–1796) was a Russian statesman, soldier, and writer.
He was a cousin of Prince
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...
, a well-known military and political figure of Empress
Catherine the Great
Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
’s Russia. He took part in the wars with the rebel adventurer
Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (also spelled Pugachyov; ; ) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks and the leader of the Pugachev's Rebellion, a major popular uprising in the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great.
The son of a Do ...
, the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, the
Bar Confederation
The Bar Confederation (; 1768–1772) was an association of Polish nobles (''szlachta'') formed at the fortress of Bar, Ukraine, Bar in Podolia (now Ukraine), in 1768 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian C ...
, and in the
Kościuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...
. He signed the
Treaty of Georgievsk
The Treaty of Georgievsk (; ka, გეორგიევსკის ტრაქტატი, tr) was a bilateral treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and the east Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti on July 24, 1783. The treaty establi ...
with King
Heraclius II of Georgia
Heraclius II, also known as Erekle II ( ka, ერეკლე II) and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი, link=no ; 7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 Cyril_Toumanoff.html" ;"title="ccording to Cyril Toumanoff">C. Touman ...
in 1783.
Early life
Potemkin was born on , 1743; the son of Sergei Dmitrievich Potemkin
(1694 – 1772) and Anna Mikhailovna, née Princess
Kropotkina.
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...
was a distant relative.
He was one of three sons; the other two being Mikhail and Alexander.
As was customary at that time, 13-year-old Pavel was enrolled in military service in the
Semyonovsky Life Guards Regiment
The Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment (, ) was one of the two oldest guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. The other one was the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 2013, it was recreated for the Russian Armed Forces as a rifle regiment, its name ...
in 1756.
He graduated from
Imperial Moscow University
Imperial Moscow University () was one of the oldest universities of the Russian Empire, established in 1755. It was the first of the twelve imperial universities of the Russian Empire. Its legacy is continued as Lomonosov Moscow State Universit ...
.
He was awarded the honorary court position of Chamber cadet (), equivalent appointment to a
valet de chambre
''Valet de chambre'' (), or ''varlet de chambre'', was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards. Royal households had many persons appointed at any time. While some valets simply waited on ...
in western Medieval courts.
Military career
Russo-Turkish War
Potemkin served
Imperial Russia
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* ...
during the
Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)
The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...
and was awarded the
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...
, 4th Class on September 22, 1770
for bravery in battle against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. He was awarded 3rd Class of the same award on November 26, 1775.
He was known as a brave and capable officer who moved up the ranks quickly, although this may have been in part due to the support of his cousin,
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...
.
Pugachev's Rebellion
Potemkin was appointed head of secret investigative commissions on June 11, 1774, by
Catherine the Great
Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
, putting him in charge of the
Kazan
Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...
and
Orenburg
Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow.
Orenburg is close to the ...
secret commissions to investigate and punish participants in
Pugachev's rebellion
Pugachev's Rebellion (; also called the Peasants' War 1773–1775 or Cossack Rebellion) of 1773–1775 was the principal revolt in a series of popular rebellions that took place in the Russian Empire after Catherine II seized power in 1762. It ...
.
He was in Kazan at the time of its
capture by Pugachev’s troops on July 15, 1774, and together with the garrison and townspeople he locked himself in the
Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin (; ) is the chief historic citadel of Russia, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of list of Kazan khans, Kazan khans. It was declared a World Heritage ...
. However that evening, Russian forces under
Johann von Michelsohnen
Johann von Michelsohnen (also Mikhelson or Michelson; ; – ) was a Baltic German military commander who served in the Imperial Russian Army. He was a prominent general in several wars, but his most noted contribution was his critical role in sup ...
reached Kazan and defeated the rebels, forcing Pugachev to retreat.
He supervised the interrogations of many of the captured Pugachev associates in Kazan, and later in Simbirsk. In October 1774, together with General-in-Chief
Petr Ivanovich Panin
General Count Pyotr (Petr) Ivanovich Panin () (1721 – April 26, 1789), younger brother of Nikita Ivanovich Panin, fought with distinction in the Seven Years' War and in the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774, Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, ...
, the military leader of the suppression of the uprising, he interrogated
Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (also spelled Pugachyov; ; ) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks and the leader of the Pugachev's Rebellion, a major popular uprising in the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great.
The son of a Do ...
in Simbirsk, before returning to Moscow.
After the investigation and trial in January 1775, Potemkin was awarded the
Golden Weapon for Bravery
The Gold Sword for Bravery () was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished in 1917. From 1913 to 1917 it was renamed the Saint George S ...
.
In 1777 he was awarded the
Order of St. Anne. On June 28, 1778, he was promoted to
chamberlain and awarded the
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
From October 1781 to June 1782, he assisted
James Bruce
James Bruce of Kinnaird (14 December 1730 – 27 April 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who physically confirmed the source of the Blue Nile. He spent more than a dozen years in North and East Africa and in 1770 became the fir ...
, who had simultaneously been awarded two different posts, by filling in the post of Governor-General of the
Tver Governorate
Tver Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 until 1929. Its seat was in Tver. The governorate was lo ...
, today split between
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was known as Kalinin Oblast (). Population:
Tver Oblast is a region of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much o ...
and
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...
.
North Caucasus
In the fall of 1782, Lieutenant General Pavel took command of the
Russian army
The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
in the
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...
.
At the end of 1782, he persuaded the
Kartli-Kakheti
The Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti ( ka, ქართლ-კახეთის სამეფო, tr) was created in 1762 by the unification of the two eastern Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti. From the early 16th century, according to the ...
king
Heraclius II of Georgia
Heraclius II, also known as Erekle II ( ka, ერეკლე II) and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი, link=no ; 7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 Cyril_Toumanoff.html" ;"title="ccording to Cyril Toumanoff">C. Touman ...
to request the Empress of Russia
Catherine II
Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...
accept Georgia as a protectorate of Russia.
In an effort to strengthen Russia's position in the Caucasus, Catherine II granted Pavel Potemkin broad powers to conclude an agreement with Heraclius II.
On July 24, 1783, the
Treaty of Georgievsk
The Treaty of Georgievsk (; ka, გეორგიევსკის ტრაქტატი, tr) was a bilateral treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and the east Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti on July 24, 1783. The treaty establi ...
was signed in the Georgievsk fortress.
In September 1783, Russian troops led by Lieutenant General Potemkin and Lieutenant General
Alexander Samoylov
Count Alexander Nikolayevich Samoylov (; 1744 – 1 November 1814) was a Russian general and statesman. He distinguished himself in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 and was the prosecutor general of the Russian Empire. He was a relativ ...
crossed the
Terek, devastated Chechnya and defeated Chechen troops in the battles of
Atagi and
Khankala
Khankala (, ) is a settlement in Groznensky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located to the east of Grozny
Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian ...
.
In 1784, Potemkin was appointed
governor-general
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
of the
Saratov Governorate
Saratov Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR.
History
On December 25, 1769, the Saratov province was established as part of the Astrakhan Governorate.
On January 11, 17 ...
, a position he held until 1787. Moreover, in 1785 he was appointed governor-general of the
Caucasus Viceroyalty until 1792.
Russo-Turkish War (1787-1791)
Throughout the
Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)
The Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved an unsuccessful attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to the Russian Empire in the course of the previous Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). It took place concomitantly with the Austro-T ...
he served in the active army. He commanded the right wing assault during the
Siege of Izmail
The siege of Izmail or Ismail / Ishmael / İzmail (), also called the storming of Izmail (), was a Military action (combat), military action fought in 1790 on the Black Sea during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and simultaneously the Au ...
,
and was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class, for his distinction during the assault.
By decree of Empress Catherine II of June 3, 1791, Potemkin was granted a cloth factory in the village of
Glushkovo, Kursk province, along with all the villages, people and lands.
In 1794 he took part in the
Kościuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...
, including the
Battle of Praga
The Battle of Praga or the Second Battle of Warsaw of 1794, also known in Russian and German as the storming of Praga () and in Polish as the defense of Praga (), was a Imperial Russia, Russian assault on Praga, the easternmost community of Wars ...
. At the end of hostilities he received the rank of
general-in-chief
General-in-chief has been a military rank or title in various armed forces around the world.
France
In France, general-in-chief () was first an informal title for the lieutenant-general commanding over other lieutenant-generals, or even for some ...
, and in 1795 — the title of
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
.
In January 1796, he was accused of complicity in the murder and robbery of the Persian prince Idast Khan in 1786.
Defending himself from unfair accusations, Potemkin wrote the poem ''The Voice of Innocence''. Shortly thereafter, he fell ill with a fever and died on , 1796 in Moscow.
He was buried in the family tomb in Nikolskoye-Kolchevo,
Podolsk district,
Moscow Governorate
The Moscow Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, and the Russian Empire. It was bordered by Tver Governorate to the north, Vladimir Governorate to the northeast, Ryazan Governorate to the southeast, Tula Gove ...
, in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Essays
Potemkin was an amateur poet and author of a number of poetic works. According to
Ivan Dmitrevsky
Ivan Afanasyevich Dmitrevsky () (February 28, 1734 in Yaroslavl – October 27, 1821 in Saint Petersburg) is generally regarded as the most influential actor of Russian Neoclassicism and "Russia's first great tragedian".
Together with his fr ...
, Potemkin was “a man with great talent, and if he had not devoted himself entirely to military service, he would have been an excellent writer.” He translated several poems into Russian including the play
''Mahomet'' by
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
and authored two dozen poems including two poetic dramas:
* ''The Russians in the Archipelago'', (1772);
* ''The Triumph of Friendship'', (1773).
Family

In 1785, Potemkin married Praskovya Andreevna Zakrevskaya (02.09.1765 – 1816), maid of honor of the court, whose father Andrey Osipovich Zakrevsky was a state councilor, director of the
Imperial Academy of Arts
The Imperial Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov, the founder of the Imperial Moscow University, under the name ''Academy of th ...
, St. Petersburg, and district marshal of the nobility. She was a lady of state, famous at court for her beauty and was the favorite of His Serene Highness Prince
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...
.
The marriage had two sons:
* Grigory (1786–08/26/1812) who died in the
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino ( ) or Battle of Moscow (), in popular literature also known as the Battle of the Generals, took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ...
;
* Sergei (1787–1858) — a writer who went on to marry Princess Elizaveta Petrovna Trubetskoy (1796-after 1870).
References
{{Reflist
1743 births
1796 deaths
Imperial Russian Army generals
Pavel
Pavel ( Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian: Павел; Czech, Slovene, and (although Romanian also uses Paul); ; ; ) is a male given name. It is a Slavic cognate of the name Paul (derived from the Greek Pavlos). Pavel may refer to:
People G ...
Russian people of the Kościuszko Uprising
Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree
Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree
Imperial Moscow University alumni
Sheikh Mansur Movement