One of Odessa’s most colorful, recognizable, and in some way even sacred monuments is the monument to Odessa-Mama. This bronze monument depicts a magnificent woman pressing five infants to her breast. These are her beloved children, the founding fathers of the city: Vorontsov, Richelieu, Langeron, Devlan and Deribas.
The monument was unveiled on April 1, 2000 during the traditional Odessa festival of humor and satire, “Humorina.” The ideological inspiration behind the monument was Mikhail Zhvanetsky. The famous satirical writer claimed that Odessa rests on four whales: trade, the fleet, art, and medicine.
The creator of this original monument was the well-known sculptor Alexander Knyazik. He placed three whales at the feet of Odessa-Mama, and depicted the fourth as a headdress billowing like a sail.
Everyone interprets the deep symbolism of the “caring mommy” in their own way, but one thing remains beyond doubt: the monument serves as a true adornment of Southern Palmyra.
