Elizabeth Grigorieva Temkina

Elizabeth Grigorievna Temkina (Russian: Елизаве́та Григо́рьевна Тёмкина, romanized: Elizaveta Grigoryevna Temkina; 24 July [O.S. 13 July] 1775 – 6 June [O.S. 25 May] 1854) was the once-alleged daughter of Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin.

Elizabeth Grigorievna Temkina
Елизаве́та Григо́рьевна Тёмкина
Portrait by Vladimir Borovikovsky
Born(1775-07-24)24 July 1775
Moscow, Russian Empire
Died6 June 1854(1854-06-06) (aged 78)
SpouseIvan Khristoforovich Kalageorgi
Children10
Parents

Biography

According to a number of historical testimonies and family legends, which, however, do not have documentary evidence and are disputed by most historians, Grigory Potemkin and Catherine the Great were secretly married.[1][2] In 1775, a female infant appeared in Potemkin's house, who was named Elizabeth Grigorievna Temkina (the surname was obtained by truncation from “Potemkin”). The girl was born secretly, but at the court there were rumors that the empress was her mother, though this is now regarded as unlikely.[3] Elizabeth was brought up in the Samoilov household, and was never acknowledged by Catherine.

References
  1. "Потёмкин. история в лицах" [Potemkin. history in faces] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 4 May 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
  2. "Letters of Catherine II to G. A. Potemkin". Questions of History. No. 6. 1989.
  3. Montefiore 2010, p. 159.

Sources
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