The Russian Empress Catherine the Great found her reign beset by threats from every direction, a situation complicated by the arrival of Lieutenant Grigory Potemkin – a man known for his directness and daring.

Potemkin’s triumphant return from war finds Catherine absorbed in matters of state. The confluence of their attention allows for an unusually frank exchange, a sharing of histories and hopes for what lies ahead. Meanwhile, a Cossack’s stirr…

Trouble begins to surface in Catherine and Potemkin’s relationship, a subtle strain born from the widening gap between Potemkin’s ambitions for territorial gain and the disapproval of Minister Panin.

The weight of foreign influence ignited a sharp disagreement between Catherine and the ailing Potemkin. As her reign neared its close, Catherine worked to alter the course of succession.