Pre-Covid Era

Term used to describe a fake or false display or façade that is meant to deceive others into thinking that things are better or different than they actually are. The term comes from the story of a Russian governor named Grigory Potemkin, who allegedly had fake villages built along a route that Empress Catherine II was scheduled to travel on in order to give the impression that the region was prosperous and well-developed. The term is often used metaphorically to describe any situation or display that is designed to be impressive or convincing but is ultimately deceptive or illusory.