Potemkin Monument

In honor of the Russian statesman and founder of Kherson, G. O. Potemkin, a monument was erected in 1831 by order of Catherine II. The sculpture of the prominent figure was created by the Italian architect F. Boffo, who at the time lived and worked in Odesa. The original terracotta sketch of the monument has been kept in the State Russian Museum since 1979. Later, a square was laid out around the monument, and acacia trees were planted, forming a city boulevard.

Photo from the website khersonregion.com

One of the monument’s names is the “Kherson ghost.” It got this name because it was successfully hidden under a tarpaulin during the arrival of the Bolsheviks. Later it was hidden in the premises of the historical and archaeological museum, but since then it has disappeared without a trace. That is why in 2003 the monument was restored and, to mark the city’s 225th anniversary, returned to its former place. The author of the restored monument is Y. Stepanyan.