Sept. 20, 2025, 12:58 p.m.
(PHOTO COLLAGE: Intent)
Kyrylo Dotsenko, a resident of Odesa, registered a petition on the Socially Active Citizen portal with a proposal to install a sculpture dedicated to actor Keanu Reeves on the pedestal of the former monument to the Founders of Odesa.
The petition has so far gained 22 signatures out of the 1,000 required for it to be considered by the mayor.
"Dear residents of the city of Odesa, Odesa City Administration and Mayor Trukhanov Gennadiy Leonidovich. I am addressing all of you with a proposal to erect a monument to American Hollywood actor Keanu Charles Reeves on the site where the monument to Russian Empress Catherine the Great used to stand. Keanu is a very kind person, he deserves a monument that will be remembered for centuries to come," the author of the appeal said.
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor, director, producer and musician. He gained popularity for playing leading roles in several blockbusters. However, Reeves is best known for playing the role of Neo in the cult sci-fi franchises The Matrix and John Wick. The actor is known for his active charity work. Reeves donated 70% of his fee for the Matrix series to cancer research. After Russian troops invaded Ukrainian territory, he supported Ukraine.
This is not the first time that a sculpture dedicated to the actor has been proposed to replace Catherine II and her favorites, whose sculptures made up the monument to the Founders of Odesa. It happened in July 2022. An electronic petition to replace the monument to Catherine II in Odesa with a monument to American actor Billy Herrington (known for his 1990s pornographic films. He became a well-known internet meme thanks to a number of gay pornographic films on video hosting sites - ed.) has collected 25 thousand signatures.
Sculptures of Catherine II with her favorites, as well as Alexander Suvorov, were moved to the Odesa National Art Museum and the favorites were placed with the Empress in the courtyard. The field marshal was placed standing with his horse. They started removing the sculptures yesterday, on December 28, at night, after the curfew, and on December 29 they were in the museum.
Кирило Бойко