In 1772 the Greek Orthodox priest Evgenios Voulgaris expressed his wish to see the Russian empress Catherine II on the throne of both Russia and Greece. It was the beginning of the so-called “Greek Plan,” the policy of territorial expansion to the south at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. The Russian victory against the Ottomans created the perfect conditions for the growth of the Black Sea trade. In 1775 Catherine invited Greeks to settle in the new urban centers she established on the shores of south Russia. The empress offered land, houses, and churches, as well as many financial and administrative privileges. She managed to attract ambitious Greeks who sought prosperity and freedom.