Pro-Russian officials said they had taken the bones of the famous 18th-century Russian commander Grigory Potemkin from the occupation. Ukrainian city of Kherson.
Potemkin’s bones were taken from St. Catherine’s Cathedral. and moved across the Dnipro River and beyond into the Russian-occupied territory. Russia removes the bones of Putin’s revered 18th century commander
Along with a statue of the army leader, Vladimir Saldo, the region’s pro-Russian representative governor, told Crimean television.
“We have moved the remains of his serene Prince Potemkin from St. Catherine’s Church and the monument to the left. [east] bank,” Saldo said, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Potemkin played a key role in the annexation of Crimea from the Turks in 1783, and his memory is central to memory in Russia intended to restore the country’s former imperial reach. Putin largely relied on his legacy to justify the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Monuments to naval commander Fyodor Ushakov and commanders Alexander Suvorov and Vasily Margelov were also removed from the church and taken to an undisclosed location, Saldo said. The relics will be returned when the city becomes safer.
Prince Grigory Potemkin was an 18th century Russian statesman, army general, favorite and adviser of Empress Catherine the Great. His name has appeared a few times in the Kremlin since Russia invaded Ukraine, most recently in a speech at an annexation ceremony.
Putin described Potemkin as one of the founders of a new city in eastern Ukraine, referring to the territory as Novorossia, which stands for “New Russia.”
Potemkin is believed to be behind the plot to conquer Crimea, which Russia first occupied in 1783 as a result of a peace agreement with the Ottoman Empire. Later he received the rank of Marshal and founded the city of Sevastopol in the Crimea.
This made the city the main naval base of Russia on the Black Sea. Potemkin’s newly built Black Sea Fleet played an important role in Russia’s success in the Second Turkish War of 1768-1774.
In Russia, Potemkin’s name is often associated with “Potemkin village,” a term used to designate a concealed façade designed specifically to hide the unsightly truth and create an erroneous appearance of well-being.
This idiom harks back to his unproven historical legend of arranging grandiose decorations, such as allegedly building cardboard villages with painted boats and cannons. to impress Catherine the Great and her foreign comrades during an expedition to Crimea after the annexation.
The removal of his remains took place as Ukrainian forces dealt with Kherson. After several successful counter-attacks in the surrounding region.
The situation in the city was “tense” with Russia sending “Many Russian soldiers” were stationed there. City officials told Ukrainian television on Friday. Russia removes the bones of Putin’s revered 18th century commander.
“People in the occupied territories I communicate with say that there are more Russian soldiers on the streets of the city than the locals,” Kherson City Council member Halina Luhova said.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in a daily intelligence update on Friday it was “likely” that “mobilized reservists” were deployed to strengthen Russian troops in the regional capital and the West.
in the last two weeks Kherson’s Kremlin-backed government has released a disastrous message about Ukraine’s impending efforts to retake the city. And it has sent thousands of residents across the Dnipro River, deep into Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine accuses Russia of creating “hysteria” to force residents to leave.
Moscow has also begun to reduce the footprint of its occupation in Kherson. Ukrainian officials said Russia is moving the wounded Administrative Services and financial institutions out of town Ready to deploy more troops to strengthen their position.
Museums and other cultural organizations in Ukraine have been Struggle to save the country’s inventions and relics since the Russian invasion in February.
in May Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian forces have Destroy hundreds of cultural landmarks
