Buste de L’Amiral Ouchakov

The history of Villefranche-sur-Mer is closely linked to the Russian presence. In the 18th century Russia had a significant squadron in the Mediterranean, the ships of which came from the Black Sea. The government of Sovoy-Sardinia agreed to cede to Russia Villefranche's Lazaret and Darse which it used as a depot for provisions and fuel. The harbour became the home port for the imperial nobility when visiting the States of Savoy. In 1781, two brothers, Alexei and Grigory Orlov, were among...