Monument to Duke de Richelieu
Description:
Monument to Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu, who was one of the most popular mayors of Odessa. Duke de Richelieu, a Frenchman, emigrated to Russia after the French Revolution of 1789. In 1790 he participated in the capture of Izmail, in 1803 he was appointed mayor of Odessa, and then governor-general of Novorossiya.
Richelieu became known as Emmanuel Osipovich. Under him, Odessa received a temporary exemption from taxes and was actively built. When in 1814 the Bourbons returned to power in France, the duke went home, donating all his fortune to the Odessa Richelieu Lyceum. After his death in 1822. Fundraising began in 1828. A monument to Duke Richelieu was erected.
The sculptor I. Martos sculpted the duke dressed in a Roman toga with a scroll in his hand and three brass reliefs symbolizing agriculture, trade and justice. Now it is the most recognizable symbol of Odessa. Jokers recommend looking at Duke from the water hatch to the left of the monument. From this angle, the scroll in Richelieu's hand looks very ambiguous.