Ukraine has been pulling down monuments with Russian or Soviet influence in the country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine back in February.
The latest casualty is the statue of former Russian empress Catherine the Great in the Ukrainian city of Odesa. The monument to the founder of Odesa was originally put up in the city centre in 1900 but was removed in 1920 by the then Bolshevik rulers before the local council restored it in 2007.
The decision to remove the structure was made after an online vote by Odesa residents in November this year. It will now be moved to the Odesa Fine Arts Museum.
Catherine the Great ruled from 1762 to 1796, she was the last empress of Russia. She’s generally considered as the founder of Odesa as she decreed its birth in 1794.
She is considered the founder of Odesa because in 1794 she decreed its birth.
During her reign, she extended the borders of the Russian Empire to include areas of modern-day Ukraine, including Crimea.
