On April 8, 1783, by the manifesto of Empress Catherine II, the Crimean Peninsula was annexed to Russia when the Russian army conquered the Crimean Khanate. The document, prepared by Prince Grigory Potemkin, earned him the title of the Most Serene Prince of Tauride. Potemkin founded several cities and the Black Sea Fleet, leaving a significant mark in history as an outstanding statesman.

Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tauride (born September 24, 1739, in the village of Chizhov, Smolensk province, died October 16, 1791, on the way from Yassy near the village of Radenii Veki in the Principality of Moldavia) also worked on the development of Crimea, where he owned extensive land holdings. He founded several cities, such as Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipro, 1776), Kherson (1778), Sevastopol (1783), and Mykolaiv (1789). Potemkin was the favorite and morganatic spouse of Catherine II and the first owner of the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. In 1784, he received the rank of General Field Marshal and effectively governed the Principality of Moldavia in 1790 and 1791. Upon learning of his death, Catherine II expressed deep sorrow: "Yesterday I was struck as if by a club to the head... My student, my friend, one might say, idol, Prince Potemkin-Tauride has passed away... Oh, my God! Now I truly have to help myself. I need to train people again!..."

Potemkin's remains were embalmed and buried in the Cathedral of St. Catherine in the Kherson Fortress. He was laid to rest in a ceremonial general field marshal uniform in a double coffin made of oak and lead. At the head of the coffin was a miniature portrait of Catherine II, adorned with diamonds. Soon after his death, Catherine II ordered: "...The body of the late prince should be transferred to Kherson and buried there with honors befitting his rank and merits." Every year, on the anniversary of Potemkin's death, a memorial service is held at his grave.