Potemkin village



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Potemkin village

Something that is made to seem very grand, elaborate, and/or prosperous for the purposes of impressing others, but which in reality has no real worth or substance. Taken from a story about Russian minister Grigory Potemkin (1739–1791), who allegedly erected false, painted fa?ades to mimic a thriving, successful village along the Dnieper River in Crimea to impress the visiting Empress Catherine II. The tightly controlled totalitarian country is often accused of creating a Potemkin village each time it televises some event, a meager attempt to convince the outside world that its people are happy under the thumb of the dictatorship.

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
JØRn-Danish, Norwegian
Kerman-Basque
NaomhNEEVIrish
Anselme-French
KirstenKEER-sten (Danish, Norwegian), KUR-stən (English)Danish, Norwegian, English
Arturoahr-TOO-roItalian, Spanish