The Monument to Duke, or rather the monument to Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, is another landmark of Odessa and the first monument opened in this city. It was created in 1828 and is a bronze figure in full height.

What did this Frenchman do to deserve such honor, and how did he end up in Odessa? The Duke de Richelieu arrived in Odessa on March 9, 1803. At that time, Odessa had already existed for 8 years, but it was a small village with a couple of hundred wooden houses. The Duke de Richelieu, who became the first mayor of Odessa, turned it into a real pearl by the sea, creating one of the largest trading ports here. During his administration, Odessa began to be actively built up, the first Odessa Opera theatre, a printing house, a commercial school and an institute for noble maidens were opened. The Duke de Richelieu remained the unchanged mayor of Odessa for eleven years. During this time, the city's population reached 35 thousand people.

However, when the Bourbons came to power again in France, he returned to his homeland, where he became prime minister. Alexander I, who visited Odessa three years after the Duke left Russia, was so amazed by the metamorphoses and transformation of the city that he immediately issued a decree awarding the Duke de Richelieu the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The Duke died at the age of 56 in France. When the news of his death reached Odessa, all the residents of South Palmyra were amazed at the sudden death of the most respected man in the city. And then Alexander-Louis Andre de Langeron, the then mayor of Odessa and a great friend of the Duke, called on residents to collect donations for the construction of the monument. The sketch of the monument was developed by greatest sculptor of that time, Ivan Martos, who depicted the Duke in full growth, as if walking through Odessa. The permission to install the monument was signed by Alexander I himself.

A lot of water has flowed since then, a lot has changed in Odessa, but the monument to Duke still remains a favorite meeting place for Odessa residents and the calling card of the city.

Duke in Odessa August 2nd, 2016

When I was in the wonderful city of Odessa in 2009, I was surprised to learn amazing story a man whose monument stands on Primorsky Boulevard in the place where the Khadzhibey fortress was once located. Directly in front of the monument there is a view of the famous Potemkin Stairs leading to the Marine Station.

I think you know what Duke did in Russia and why there is a monument to him in Odessa. But who cares, let's cut to the chase...

The glory of one of the most attractive places in Odessa deservedly belongs to the monument to the Duke de Richelieu, or the Duke monument, as Odessa residents affectionately call it.

Who is the Duke de Richelieu?

Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septemanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th duc de Richelieu; in Russia known as Emmanuel Osipovich de Richelieu; September 25, 1766, Paris - May 17, 1822) - French and Russian statesman.

Duke, great-great-great-nephew of the famous Cardinal Richelieu. In 1783 he received a court position - he became chamberlain to King Louis XVI. During the Great French Revolution of 1789 he emigrated, first to Austria, then to Russia.

Enrolled in military service. Participated in the capture of Izmail (1790), on March 21, 1791 he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class

For excellent courage shown during the storming of the Izmail fortress, with the extermination of the army that was there.
and personalized weapons “For Bravery”. In 1796 he resigned and went to Vienna.

On September 17, 1797, Emperor Paul I was appointed commander of His Majesty's Life Cuirassier Regiment. He held this position until December 1, 1800.

Since 1803, again in Russia, Alexander I appointed him mayor of Odessa, and in 1805 - governor-general of the Novorossiysk region.

This one is perfect educated person, a philanthropist, was a great organizer. He was distinguished by his iron health, tirelessness and perseverance in achieving his goals.

Local residents considered Duke de Richelieu the founder of Odessa. Under his leadership, the city gained fame as the most prosperous city in Europe and became a major trading port. Under him, prestigious educational institutions appeared in Odessa, and a theater was built. The city's population quadrupled. Duke was loved and respected by all the townspeople.

With the support of the emperor, in 1804 the Duke achieved the removal of the tax burden from Odessa, at least for a while. He was able to prove the feasibility of free transit for all goods brought by sea to Odessa and even sent to Europe. He made a great contribution to the construction of Odessa and the development of Novorossiya.

In 1806, Richelieu again besieged and stormed Ishmael, this time the Duke already commanded the entire Russian army sent to take Ishmael. This assault was unsuccessful.

After 11 years of successful rule of the city, the Duke de Richelieu left for France. According to him, in Odessa there were best years his life. Duke de Richelieu really wanted to return back to Odessa, but died suddenly in France at the age of 56.

How the monument was built

After Duke's death, his close friend and comrade-in-arms Langeron organized a fundraiser for the construction of the monument. All townspeople, wealthy people and ordinary workers responded to the call. Count Vorontsov, who was the general governor of Novorossiysk at that time, ordered the design of a monument to the sculptor Martos, who became famous for the monument to Minin and Pozharsky.

Installed on the monument bronze statue Duke in a Roman toga. As the author of the project explained: “The figure of the Duke of Richelieu is depicted in a walking moment...”. This is a clever decision that correctly captures Duke's dynamic character. Three brass bas-reliefs, symbolizing “agriculture,” “justice,” and “commerce,” commemorate Duke’s contributions to the city.

The opening of the monument to Duke took place in front of a huge crowd of people on April 22, 1828 (old style). French, English, Austrian and Russian flags fluttered around the monument as a reminder of the international significance of the Odessa port, founded by Duke. A solemn liturgy took place in the Transfiguration Cathedral.

It’s a pity that now I won’t be able to get to this beautiful and colorful city soon :-(

The Duke of Richelieu, or rather Armand Emmanuel du Plessis duc de Richelieu, Count of Chiron, Duke of Fronsac, was born in Paris in 1766. He was the great-nephew of the same Cardinal Richelieu, who was portrayed by the writer Alexandre Dumas on the pages famous novel"Three Musketeers".

After the victory of the French Revolution, the Duke was forced to leave the country. He arrived in the Russian Empire, considered the main stronghold of the monarchy in Europe, and quickly made a career. When Emperor Alexander I was looking for a candidate for the post of mayor of Odessa, he chose Richelieu.

A decade later, in 1813, Richelieu reported to the emperor: “Odessa has done for Lately such successes that no other country in the world has made.” Relying on the Zaporozhye Cossacks, to whom Richelieu allocated a settlement on the outskirts of Odessa to settle, he quickly restored order on the streets of the city and in the suburbs. With harsh measures, Richelieu was able to eradicate corruption. During the 10 years of his reign, city revenues increased 25 times, and customs revenues amounted to 2 million rubles (increased 90 times)!

Under Richelieu, the city begins to develop at a pace unprecedented for that time. Settlers of different nationalities and religions poured here. The memory of them is still preserved in the names of streets and districts: Moldovanka; Bulgarian, Greek, Polish and Jewish streets; Big and Small Arnaut (Arnauts are Albanians who fled from Turkish oppression), French and Italian boulevards; Armenian and Lutheran lanes.

Richelieu provided foreigners with the opportunity to do business in preferential terms. As a result, many Italians, Greeks, Persians, Germans, English, Spaniards, Egyptians and others hastened to become Odessans, giving the city its unique multinational atmosphere. Over 12 years, the population of Odessa quadrupled - 35 thousand residents lived in the city.

With his own money, the mayor purchased acacia seedlings in Vienna and distributed them free of charge to everyone who promised to plant trees and care for them. Odessa is still famous for its white acacia.

It is a known fact that when the first convoy with wheat arrived in the city, the trade of which was supposed to enrich the city, the Duke de Richelieu arranged a luxurious festive dinner, which was attended by all the eminent citizens of the city. All the guests, following the example of the mayor, sat at the table not on chairs, but on sacks of wheat.

In 1812, a plague struck the city. The city was immediately divided into 15 sections. Residents were strictly forbidden to leave their homes. They received provisions through the windows, while the money was dropped into a vessel with vinegar, which at that time served as a disinfectant.

Mortus (buriers) walked around the city. They appeared in black tarred clothes and in the same mittens, in masks with an elongated nose part, where they put grated garlic (another disinfectant). Armed with long poles with hooks and lassos, the mortus dragged the sick out of their apartments and placed them on carts. Each had its own flag. The sick were taken away under a white flag without obvious signs plague, under red - plague-infected and under black - dead.

Odessa was cut off from the whole world. A cordon was established along the rivers Southern Bug, Dniester, Kodyma and along the land border with Podolia. The port was closed.

But even when the plague was raging in the city, Richelieu was not afraid to go into the houses of the sick and help them.

The plague raged until the end of the year. Of the 20 thousand residents of Odessa, 4038 fell ill and 2632 died: every eighth resident of the city.

All the dead were buried far outside the city, in the steppe. In a separate plague cemetery. Subsequently, city garbage began to be transported here - a high embankment had to be created over the cemetery so that the infection would not penetrate from underground. This is how a high hill appeared in the city, called “Plague Mountain”, “Chumka”.

In 1814, when Napoleon abdicated the throne, Richelieu - Odessa residents respectfully called him the Duke - decided to return to his homeland. The mayor left Odessa on September 26, 1814. Grateful Odessa residents carried their idol in their arms to the crew. In France, Richelieu became the country's prime minister, and held this post twice: in 1815-1818. and in 1820-1821.

In 1828, Odessa residents erected a bronze monument to their beloved mayor. (Its author was one of the most famous sculptors of that time, Ivan Martos, the author of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky in Moscow.) And so it happened that a monument to the “twice” prime minister of a large European state was erected in the Ukrainian city.

- “the home Duke of Odessa”, as the poet Yuri Mikhailik once very aptly called him. People came and went, time broke monuments, destroyed graveyards and houses, but this monument stood against all odds. Although, it must be admitted, there was a moment when the fate of “Duke” literally hung in the balance. An ardent fighter against “rootless cosmopolitans”, then director public library and “local historian”, V.A. Zagoruiko worked diligently to dismantle this symbol of the city.

What is the phenomenon of Richelieu’s personality?

Why is she mostly irresponsible and not very grateful? human memory made an exception for him? The answer to this question was directly and unequivocally voiced back in pre-revolutionary Russia:

“Humanity and culture - very rare in the highest administrative posts of the empire - precisely constituted the essence of Richelieu as a leader and a person.”

Nobody has done more for Odessa and Odessa residents than Duke. Even M.S. Vorontsov, who, despite all his scale, followed in line with the undertakings of his outstanding predecessor, developed and supplemented them. It was Richelieu who opened the city to Europe and the world, which says it all completely.

Taking advantage of unlimited powers, the friendly disposition of the monarch, and significant budgetary funds, Duke laid the foundations for the infrastructure of Odessa as the largest point of transit trade between East and West. It was he who established grain exports, invited and helped settle agricultural colonists from Germany, France, Switzerland and other countries, turned Odessa into a European city, freed it from exorbitant taxes, and formulated the idea of ​​porto-franco, which was implemented under his successor, Langeron. Respecting the interests of both state and regional, Richelieu ensured that the grain trade between Russia and Turkey did not stop even when they were in a state of military conflicts! It was he who saved the city and the region from a fierce plague; Risking his life, he personally visited plague-ridden neighborhoods and houses, encouraging the townspeople and truly sharing his last piece of bread with them. It was Duke who gave all the money he earned while serving in Russia to create in Odessa the most significant educational institution in the South - the Lyceum, the second in the state after Tsarskoye Selo. It was he who built the city hospital and the theater, in which the best opera troupes in the empire performed. It can be argued that on this southern outskirts of Russia, at his instigation, a truly European port city arose with all the attributes - self-government, a stock exchange, a commercial court, quarantine, transport maritime offices, insurance and banking institutions, charitable, educational, cultural institutions, etc.

Eleven years (1803 - 1814) Richelieu lived in small rooms, at the first stage “furnished” with stools and trestle beds without varnish, in an environment devoid of a hint of luxury. His working day lasted almost 17 hours. He actually carried out all the paperwork himself, and he drafted response documents in the languages ​​in which he was addressed. Duke ate very modestly, and maintained a small office at his own expense. Walking or driving around the city every day, he delved into all the smallest matters, talking with merchants, contractors, military men, doctors, artisans, guests of the city, foreign consuls, common people, and attended all public and private balls. Seriously concerned about the problem of landscaping Odessa and the surrounding waterless territories, Richelieu personally ordered expensive seedlings from abroad and then constantly inspected literally every planted tree, strictly punishing those responsible for negligence.

All the information presented takes on a different meaning if we consider that Duke is a refined representative of an aristocratic family as noble as he is ancient, and that one of his ancestors is the famous cardinal, the all-powerful minister of Louis XIII, somewhat compromised, however, by Dumas’s father in “The Three Musketeers” " Upon the death of Cardinal de Richelieu in 1642, his family castle on the banks of the Loire and the duchy passed to his great-nephew, Armand Richelieu, who was a peer of France, commander of the fleet and troops stationed throughout the Levant. This circumstance gave rise to confusion with two different Armand de Richelieu. In any case, as you understand, our Duke simply did not physically exist in 1642, since he was born 124 years later, in 1766.

What kind of family ties, in turn, connect these two different Armans?

Everything here is quite simple. The cardinal's great-nephew transferred all his regalia and possessions to his son, Louis Francois de Richelieu, a French marshal widely known for his numerous alcove adventures. This loving marshal left the title to his son, Duke Fronsac, and he left the title to his heir, Count Chinon, our Odessa Duke. Thus, Duke Armand-Em Manuel du Plessis de Richelieu simultaneously bore the titles of Count of Chinon and Duke of Fronsac. So it turns out that Duke is the great-great-great-nephew of Cardinal Richelieu.

Such a grandiose and enviable pedigree did not prevent the Kherson military governor and the first Odessa mayor from being, perhaps, the most humane of all the administrators Odessa knew. Apparently, France did not know a better prime minister than Richelieu, and it was this primary post that he occupied after returning to Paris. When Duke died (1822), Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, who sincerely considered Richelieu a close person and confidant, said to the French ambassador:

“I mourn the Duke of Richelieu as the only friend who told me the truth. He was a model of honor and truthfulness."

Then in French Academy The words were said: “He did not call for good, but he knew how to prepare it and bring it closer.”

I would like to emphasize another extremely significant point in the biography of our city. If Duke had not chosen the then nondescript and seedy Odessa as the administrative center of a huge region - and yet it could well have settled on the then much more developed Nikolaev, Kherson or, say, on any of the ports of Crimea, its brilliant future would have been in big question...

The ideological inspirer and author of the idea of ​​​​creating our wonderful famous city undeniably was a Spaniard, a warrior, and in the future - an admiral, Joseph de Ribas.
The main Guardian Angel of Odessa is our common favorite - Duke Armand du Plessis - Duke de Richelieu (Duke - translation of the title Duke)!!!
It was thanks to the heroic efforts of the first Odessa mayor Odessa has been called “Southern Palmyra” for many years and not only!..
It was he who, with his hard work, created a solid foundation for the development of our beloved city, which allowed his followers not to stray from the course he set!...

On a February morning in 1803, Emmanuel Richelieu left St. Petersburg for an unknown land, new way…
In Russia his name was Emmanuel Osipovich.
Black eyes full of expression, a slightly longer than usual nose with a small hump and a soft, grating “er” in the word “Russia” gave him away as a Frenchman.
In 1803, Emmanuel Osipovich would have turned thirty-seven years old. Born into a noble French family, he received an excellent education in a closed educational institution named after his great-grandfather - Cardinal of France - Duke de Richelieu.
***

The names and titles of the great-grandson and his ancestor are so consonant that I almost published a newsletter dedicated to our Duke on the birthday of his great-grandfather, the cardanal, which falls on September 9 (according to other sources - September 5).
I had difficulty finding the date of birth of our Odessa guardian angel on the Internet (and almost by accident). And just imagine, today - on his birthday!.. There are such wonderful coincidences!!! :)
I have collected a lot of material about Duke Richelieu!.. It’s impossible to process and present all of it this moment possible... Therefore, today I present to you the first version of the story about Emmanuel Richelieu, based on articles from the Internet and a book I read about Richelieu...

At less than twenty-two years old, Emmanuel was already a second-major of the hussars and a regular at Versailles.
Great French revolution ruined a career that had begun so successfully, and Emmanuel Osipovich went to seek happiness in a foreign land. In France, he left the family estate and the hunchbacked, ugly woman Rosalia Sabina, who six years ago became his wife, whom he saw only 2-3 times in his life. In one of these meetings, she saved his life when, wounded, he accidentally found shelter from enemies in her house.
Thirteen years have passed since the day he first came to Russia. Fortune threw him into the assault on Ishmael. Fortune bestowed life, a slight wound, and a golden sword awarded for bravery. But that’s not all!.. She brought the Duke together with wonderful contemporaries: Deribas, Devolan and Langeron... All of them, each to the best of their ability and in their own way, gave Odessa its great future!..
The Russian Empress recognized a noble family name in the lists submitted for awards. Emmanuel Osipovich was introduced to Catherine, treated kindly by her and received permission to attend those private meetings of the court where only a select few were allowed.
The Russian Empress was fascinated by the young Frenchman and saw in him... the savior of France. With six thousand Russian chervonets, Emmanuel Osipovich went to the army of Prince Conde to fight against the Republic. Two years later the war was lost. Russian chervonets did not save the royalists. Catherine was disappointed in Emmanuel Osipovich, but left him in the Russian army... And Emmanuel Osipovich became disillusioned with the war... At the same time, he still had to fight a lot in Russia!..
After the assassination of Paul I, Tsar Alexander, who was familiar with Emmanuel Osipovich from his service in Gatchina, ascended the Russian throne. Alexander I was able to appreciate the merits of his former colleague, discovering in him clarity of thought and statesmanship. Of all the things offered by the emperor, Emmanuel Osipovich chose a position that, at first glance, was modest: mayor in a small Russian town in the south of the empire...
At the beginning of spring, after almost three weeks of difficult travel, the carriage stopped in the middle of the only square of the city in which Emmanuel Osipovich was to spend eleven and a half years. On March 9, 1803, Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu, first set foot on the soil of Odessa.
It is difficult to imagine what kind of Odessa the Duke imagined, but the reality was worse than any of the darkest assumptions. Even from a distance, approaching the city, he saw wretched clay huts and ugly booths hastily put together from boards, huddled in great numbers along the edge of the washed-out dirt road. Several churches founded by the first founders stood unfinished. Only hundreds of four one-story houses, and very rarely two-story houses, clustered in the center of the city, testified to the emerging life. But a rare tree grew between them...
The very next day after his arrival, he demanded from the magistrate an immediate and detailed report on the state of affairs of Odessa entrusted to his care. Soon the mayor handed him several sheets of paper covered with numbers.
In the nine years that have passed since its founding, nine thousand and nine more souls of both sexes and all conditions lived in Odessa. Of these, there were 387 nobles and officials, 1927 merchants and families, 5743 townspeople, the last thousand were Moldovans living a separate settlement, Black Sea Cossacks, Greeks and Jews who settled here back in the days when Odessa was Hadzhibey."
The largest factory in the city was the powder factory of the retired captain of the French service, Monsieur Pichon. Five people worked on it. There were also two pasta factories, one worker at each... :) Three wine factories and two vodka factories, three brick factories and two tallow factories, and another one producing lime, provided work for one hundred and forty Odessa residents. Other citizens who were not members of public service, made their way through summer work in the port, petty trade and theft. Most of the first inhabitants of Odessa were people with an unsettled fate: runaway peasants, wandering people hiding from the law, poor merchants who dreamed of getting rich in a new place, foreigners seeking happiness in a foreign land - a people increasingly free and uncontrollable.
At the end of May 1803, among the extensive mail arriving in the name of de Richelieu, there was one curious letter sent from St. Petersburg by the Minister of Finance Count Rumyantsev himself. It wrote: “In relation to yours, in which you described the extreme shortage of artisans in Odessa, I reported to the Emperor and, with the will of His Imperial Majesty, these days I am sending a carpenter to Odessa, who takes with him two workers, one baker, with one worker, one mechanic with one worker. Although their number is small, for the necessary needs, in the first case, it may be enough. If they find their benefits in Odessa, then their example will not be slow to bring other hunters there."
The baker, mechanic and carpenter obviously found their benefits in Odessa and, presumably, considerable benefits, since, as Rumyantsev foresaw, their example was not slow to bring “other hunters” there... And in such numbers that only from Remeslennaya Street was formed in Odessa thanks to the help of German immigrants and craftsmen. Masons and carpenters came here in entire teams from Novorossiya or came on ships from Anatolia. Both of them, often having rebuilt their houses, remained in Odessa forever. More and more merchant ships hurried to enter the new harbor. Leaving Odessa, they spread the news to the world about the new southern city and its mayor. Within a few years, the word “Odessa” spread around Europe.
The Duke himself wrote in his memoirs of 1813 that “Odessa and Novorossiya made such progress in the shortest possible time, like no other state in the world." The Duke did not like boasting. It is unlikely that his words were an exaggeration, and the superlative "like no other" is just a tribute to high calm. In the documents of this era there is a lot of evidence confirming the truth of Richelieu's words. Just contact to statistics. Commercial turnover of all ports of the Black Sea and Azov Seas in 1796 amounted to one and a half million rubles, and in 1813 - forty-five million. And this does not count banking operations, which were exclusively handled by Odessa and which previously reached twenty-five million. expressed in five-digit figures, yielded about two million in banknotes. The salt mines on Peresyp, once leased for two hundred thousand rubles, brought in this year two million four hundred thousand rubles.
“When I arrived in Odessa in 1803,” Richelieu further wrote, “I was able to get for myself a dozen of the simplest chairs within six weeks, and even those I had to order from Kherson. In 1813, furniture was sent from Odessa to Constantinople for 60,000 rubles, and no worse than what they make in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Which country can boast of such results?
Alexander 1, who visited Odessa in 1818, three years after Duke’s departure for his homeland, was so amazed by the picture of a civilized city that presented itself to his eyes that he immediately awarded Richelieu, then the Prime Minister of France, the highest order Russian Empire- Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
The appointment of Richelieu as mayor of Odessa was not an accidental step. The young Russian emperor intuitively managed to predict that the south of Russia needed exactly the kind of governor that Richelieu became. However, it is unlikely that the Duke’s talent would have been destined to reveal itself so fully if not for some measures taken by the government and Alexander personally. In the instructions Richelieu received from the emperor, there are the following lines: “Pay attention to the fact that all parts of government in the city depend on one person.” “Customs, the port and the Russian and foreign ships staying in it with their crews, the police and city legal proceedings were subordinate Richelieu,” wrote Odessa historian A. Skalkovsky.
The Emperor also granted Richelieu the right to resolve issues exceeding the powers of the Duke, to go directly to His Imperial Majesty, bypassing departmental hierarchical institutions.
Point two protected the city from the arbitrariness of the external bureaucracy. Everything now depended on the will of the Duke and his economic policy. The latter always began with a financial issue.
In Odessa, this issue was the most sensitive. There was a catastrophic lack of money. The report submitted by the city mayor in March 1803 contained two sad figures: city revenues - 40 thousand 675 rubles, city expenses - 45 thousand 122 rubles. The balance is not in favor of Odessa. It took years to create our own industrial base. Agriculture was in its infancy. There was no need to count on government subsidies. In addition, the issue of labor shortage was acute. The only real basis for future progress, and the Duke understood this, could only be trade. He gives it to her Special attention. Less than two months have passed since Richelieu assumed the rights of mayor when a messenger from St. Petersburg brings a government decree satisfying the first requests of the duke.
"To further encourage trade in the ports of the Black Sea and Azov Seas, reduce the duty by 1/4 of the share against other ports."
This benefit was not so exceptional in Russia and in different times was given to many cities. Let us also note that it extended not only to Odessa, but also to all other ports of the two seas. By itself, this benefit could not have much influence on the growth of Odessa incomes. However, already on June 26, another decree follows, the importance of which for the economy of Odessa could hardly be overestimated:
“For the continuation of the unfinished pier in Odessa and for the creation of other additions and works, the Odessa military governor Duke de Richelieu is supposed to allocate annually a fifth of the customs revenues of that city, instead of the tenth, determined by decree of January 24, 1802.”
Skalkovsky wrote that it was precisely these two measures that “for a long time the rich source from which funds for the improvement of Odessa were exhausted was strengthened.” Encouraged by such unequivocal government actions and encouraged by the policies of the new mayor, the residents of Odessa decided to show their own initiative. The meeting of citizens decided from now on to collect 2.5 kopecks in favor of the city from every quarter of wheat sold overseas. This money was supposed to be used primarily for the construction of roads, streets and bridges.
Exports in Odessa's foreign trade significantly prevailed over imports, and bread was the main export item. These 2.5 kopecks in the first three years brought the Odessa treasury 45 thousand rubles, which was more than the entire annual income in 1802.
If we resort to modern vocabulary, then Odessa was placed in conditions of self-financing. Its progress was now determined not by the mood of the government, not by the gifts of the monarch, but own initiative and own business activities. “The connection between the prosperity of the city and the personal well-being of each resident never seems to have been as clear as in the first years of Odessa’s existence. Fast growth the city attracted more and more capital."
When getting acquainted with the history of Odessa in those years, one gets the impression that not a single industry, not a single direction of the city’s development was overlooked by the attention and participation of the Duke. Realizing that Odessa cannot exist in a bare environment, he in every possible way contributes to the settlement of its surroundings. At his request, arriving German colonists are given plots of land free of charge. This is how Lustdorf, Greater and Lesser Liebenthal were formed. Greek gardeners settle in Aleksandrovka.
Having seen beautiful pastures in the endless steppes of New Russia, Richelieu ordered the best breeds of merino sheep from abroad. With his assistance, the Odessa foreigner Miller created the first wool mine in the city.
But Richelieu, of course, paid most attention to trade. Most importantly, he tried to give it a civilized appearance. The result of this policy was the appearance in the city of much-needed institutions such as a commercial bank, stock exchange, exchange office, foreign consulates and an insurance company.
A convinced royalist who fought against the Republic, which proclaimed civil liberty as its slogan, the Duke de Richelieu became an ardent supporter of economic and religious freedom, and a champion of political tolerance. “In Odessa there was no place for the exclusive domination of any nationality,” wrote the historian V. Nadler, “everyone was equally equal, equally free, and the result of this freedom and this equality and the free competition of forces that resulted from them was the unheard of rapid growth of the city, prosperity and enrichment of the entire Novorossiysk region."
This policy was not accidental. It was based on Richelieu’s adherence to the then fashionable ideas of the economist and philosopher Adam Smith.
Where could the serf spirit manifest itself here?" - wrote Alexander Deribas in "Old Odessa". But here is the curious opinion of D. Atlas in the book "Old Odessa, her friends and enemies": "We have not yet freed ourselves from Tatar lackeyness and are afraid to express the holy the truth to a high-ranking official. We dare to think that in the south of Russia this lackeyness was less practiced and, hardly, this should not be attributed to the presence of a foreign element here and to the founders of this region."
It does not require much mental effort to come to a simple conclusion: Richelieu's policies brought the system called Odessa to socio-economic resonance only because it expressed the free aspirations and aspirations of the majority of its citizens.
Statements have been preserved that every resident of Odessa could freely express their wishes and complaints to the mayor. This is how one traveler who visited Richelieu in 1813 describes it: “All the time before dinner, during the table and after, they came different people higher and simple class, on business and without business - and he received everyone kindly and patiently, although, apparently, fatigue overcame him."
The French Duke, one of the most noble people of his country, a friend of the Russian Emperor, the governor of the region, Richelieu did not consider it shameful for himself to order seedlings of his beloved acacia from Italy and, year after year, skillfully wielding a spade and watering can, decorate the city with them. When in 1813, during the plague epidemic, even doctors tried to escape from Odessa, he fearlessly entered houses affected by the infection and consoled the sick. When the workers, out of fear, refused to bury the plague-ridden corpses, he himself took a shovel and dug graves, setting an example true courage and nobility.
Such was this man, not embellished in the least by his contemporaries or descendants. And all this had a direct bearing on the well-being of Odessa, since only a ruler beloved and respected by citizens can count on the success of his endeavors.
At the beginning of 1815, when the Duke was still immersed in Odessa concerns, Providence was already preparing a new career for him. After the defeat of Napoleonic troops at Waterloo Congress of Vienna The victorious countries were to decide the fate of France. At the insistence of Alexander I, Richelieu was obliged to arrive in the capital of Austria. Leaving Odessa, which had become his second home over the years, Richelieu could be satisfied with the results of his reign. Over the course of 11 and a half years, the city's population quadrupled and in 1813 reached 35 thousand people. Instead of four hundred nondescript houses, there were two thousand buildings on the streets. First Odessa Theater and the first printing house, a commercial school and an institute for noble maidens - all this was created and nurtured by the cares of Richelieu.