Odesa pulls down Catherine the Great statue to remove Russian Empress monument

The monument featured Russia’s most famous Empress at its centre, alongside her companions José de Ribas, François Sainte de Wollant, Platon Zubov and Grigory Potemkin.

It was originally built in 1900, but taken down in 1920 following the Russian Revolution and Civil War. It was restored in 2007.

However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, citizens of Odesa voted in a survey for its removal. It will be moved to Odesa Fine Arts Museum