and the judges were relieved of their duties “for this high, famous occasion.” Vigorous measures were also taken in Crimea. To build new roads, mountains were dug up, milestones and stone miles were placed, and rows of trees were planted along the roads. In some cities, some streets were lined with “good houses and shops,” while the bad ones were broken down and taken away; “Since there is no way to completely bring the beauty of today’s cities,” Potemkin wrote to Crimea, “then at the very least we should do it as neatly as possible.” In pursuance of this order, the cities were cleaned and polished, the roofs of the houses were repaired, and the pipes were brought into service. Along the high road where the empress was supposed to go, it was ordered that “retreating 10 fathoms, all convenient places for the village should be plowed and planted,” so that it could be seen “that the inhabitants here do not spend their days in idleness and laziness.” In cities and towns, palaces were built, with dining rooms and dining rooms, offices and rooms, front, front and “small apartments.” For the palaces, entire transports with things were sent from Moscow - wagons on runners, loaded with chandeliers and mirrors, card tables, etc. In the palaces, the rooms were decorated with mirrors in gold frames, marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, canapés upholstered in red sayan, curtains made of green melt with silk tassels were hung on the walls, and in other chambers - from white calico and red calico, with kities and with fringe. The floors were covered with carpets of crimson or green cloth, and the walls were upholstered with brocade or blue melt. The chairs were painted wicker, with beads and railings, with red silk upholstery and red soybean pillows. They also stocked clothes brushes, wings for sweeping away dust, and vinegar for fumigating palaces. Servants were recruited in advance; In the palace in Bakhchisar, 188 servants were required for the empress and her retinue. They sent to Kharkov and Kremenchug for sulfur and saltpeter for fireworks; For the same purpose, shingles were required - they were taken from the roofs of peasant huts. There is nothing to say about how much fruit, confection, chocolate, beer, wine and syrups were stored. Even the ropes for the reins were ordered to be prepared at least 10 thousand fathoms.
In 1786, Potemkin himself departed for the south to personally supervise all preparations. The vengeful bishop did not know what topic to speak to him about when meeting the empress; Potemkin wrote the theme for him with his own hand. A musician and director of the future conservatory, Sarti composed a solemn oratorio for the reception of the Empress; Potemkin himself listened to this oratorio in advance. Then Potemkin personally visited Crimea and visited all the places along which the empress was supposed to “march.”
To meet the empress, to have something to show her, other types of measures were also taken. Where there were no villages yet, magnificent decorations were erected in the middle of the desert, and entire villages and towns painted on canvas; crowds of people gathered from afar were driven to the places through which the empress's path lay, and in elegant costumes, in flowers and ribbons, they were supposed to greet her. Herds of cattle were prepared in advance, which would need to be driven from place to place, and everywhere the herds would have to be shown to the empress. In the huge granaries and grain barns, the bags were filled with sand instead of wheat, since there was not enough bread to make a proper impression.
This is how that wonderful panorama was created, that magical extravaganza of the midday region that Ekaterin Shotemkin was going to show. One of his collaborators, Chertkov, marveled at his extraordinary art: “I was with His Serene Highness,” he said, “in Tauris, in Kherson, in Kremenchug, two months before Her Majesty’s arrival there. Nowhere was anything special to be seen there; in a word, I regretted that he the Emperor called her there in vain. Feast! God knows what miracles appeared there. The devil knows where the buildings, the troops, the people, the beautifully dressed Tatars, the Cossacks, the ships came from... Well, well, God knows what... What an abundance in food, in drinks, in a word, in everything, - well, you know, so that it’s impossible to come up with a decent retelling, I then walked like in the sleepy community, I didn’t think about anything, I was asking myself: am I dreaming, or am I not seeing it in a ghost? Ka-
I mean, it wasn’t obvious that he was busy with too much business... Well, I was really surprised. Aren’t spirits somehow serving him?..”