Catherine the Great's Greek Project and the Birth of New Russia

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's grand ambition to revive the Byzantine Empire under her grandson Constantine, the strategic founding of cities like Kherson and Sebastopol, and the creation of the Black Sea Fleet. They discuss Grigory Potemkin's role as the architect of New Russia, the annexation of Crimea under Şahin Giray, and the controversial legacy of the Greek Project. The conversation also examines the limits of Catherine's enlightened despotism, the brutality of empire-building, and how the Potemkin village myth reflects deeper truths about imperial propaganda. Specific details include the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, the Battle of Chesma, and the founding of the Black Sea Fleet base at Sebastopol in 1783. #CatherineTheGreat #GreekProject #Potemkin #NewRussia #Crimea #BlackSeaFleet #Kherson #Sebastopol #KucukKaynarca #SahinGiray #BattleOfChesma #ByzantineRevival #RussianEmpire #18thCentury #EnlightenedDespotism #EmpireBuilding #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo