Cancel culture in Ukraine
What happens in Odessa will shape what kind of country Ukraine becomes
At the top of the Potemkin Steps in Odessa, the most famous staircase in cinema history, a statue of the Duc de Richelieu stands on the corniche of Primorsky Boulevard. Richelieu, a French nobleman who became a Russian army officer, was, in 1803, appointed governor of the region and mayor of the young and then underwhelming city. His reformist zeal, introduction of duty-free trading and religious tolerance helped the small town transform itself into an Enlightenment metropolis. Two centuries later his toga-clad bronze form looks out sternly at the Black Sea.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “Tales of Odessa”
From the December 21st 2024 edition
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