Catherine the Great's Secret War: The Greek Project

In this episode of the Romanov Dynasty podcast, Lucas and Luna explore Catherine the Great's audacious 'Greek Project' — a secret plan to resurrect the Byzantine Empire under her grandson Constantine. They trace its origins from the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 and the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca to the birth of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, named for the last Byzantine emperor. The conversation covers Potemkin's role in founding cities like Kherson and Sevastopol, the annexation of Crimea in 1783, and the diplomatic clashes with Austria and Prussia that ultimately doomed the scheme. They also discuss the cultural propaganda — coins, church architecture, and the Greek-language school in St. Petersburg. Lucas connects the project to Catherine's broader ambition to secure Russia's southern borders and position herself as the protector of Orthodox Christians. Luna asks about the role of Grigory Potemkin, the failure to capture Constantinople, and how the idea lingered into the 19th century. Ends with a reflection on how the Greek Project reveals Catherine's blend of Enlightenment idealism and imperial realpolitik. #CatherineTheGreat #GreekProject #Potemkin #RussoTurkishWar #ByzantineEmpire #TreatyOfKucukKaynarca #Crimea #Sevastopol #Kherson #KonstantinPavlovich #RussianEmpire #EasternQuestion #18thCentury #ImperialRussia #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #Romanovs Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo