Orloff Gbigoe Grigoeievitch

Orloff, Gbigoe Grigoeievitch (1734-83), the favourite of the Tsarina Catherine II. of Russia, planned for her the assassination of her husband, Peter III., which was carried out with the help of his four brothers in 1762, Alexis being probably the actual murderer. The latter, who survived till 1808, received the title Tchesmenskii as a reward for his destruction of the Turkish fleet at Tchesme in 1770. Gregory gained some distinction in the Turkish wars and in alleviating the plague of Moscow in 1771, but was supplanted in later years by Potemkin.