The great-great-grandson of a well-known cardinal, Richelieu was exiled to Russia from France by Marie Antoinette in 1790. He joined the Russian Imperial Army and fought in the Russo-Turkish War. He was later appointed by Tsar Alexander І as governor of Odesa. The city’s progressive planning and development is credited to his ingenuity and determination. His goal was for Odesa to be recognised as a truly European city. One interesting note: at the base of the monument, coins and medals from the time of Louis XVI, Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I and Louis XVIII are embedded.