Gorich I.P. (1745-1788) Brigadier, born Circassian. Participant of the Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. Cavalier of the personal gold medal, the Order of St. George of the 4th degree. From 1783 colonel, later brigadier. In the Ekaterinoslav army served together with his younger brother. Commander-in-Chief Potemkin G.A. appreciated the military resourcefulness and bravery of the brothers, patronized them. On December 6, 1788, during the storming of Ochakov, he commanded the most numerous and strongest 6th column, advancing from the north-eastern side of the fortress to the 5th bastion.
In the storming of the 6th column participated: batteries of brothers Colonel Egor and Major Karl Miller — 300 artillerymen, battalion of Fanagoria regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Ermolin — 350 grenadiers, combined battalion of Lieutenant Colonel Fischer P.I. and Lieutenant Colonel Sukov, respectively 325 and 450 grenadiers, Bug Cossacks of Colonel Skarzhinsky P.M. — 180, volunteers of Colonel Semunsky — 220,
volunteer riflemen from the regiments of Lieutenant Colonel Sokolinsky — 100, Kherson Light Horse Regiment — 40 and Polotsk Infantry Regiment — 250. The reserve of the Fanagori regiment of Colonel Sytin was 500 grenadiers. In total — 2750 soldiers. In a quarter of an hour the column was already climbing the rampart.
Wanting to gain time, most of the advancing did not use the available ladders. Brave I.P. Gorich was ahead of all, the first to climb the rampart. From the relay of the commander-in-chief Potemkin G.A.: «the brave hero Brigadier Gorich was the first to enter the bastion with his death». It was this moment depicted by the artist-batalist academician Samsonov M.I. on the canvas of the diorama «The storming of the fortress of Ochakov on December 6, 1788». The hero is buried on the territory of St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Kherson.
The unique Monument to Gorich was inaugurated on July 6, 1978. On the multistage base from pink granite of Novodanilovsky quarry in the form of a pyramid 30 cast-iron nuclei of considerable diameter are fastened. On the top of the pyramid there is an eagle with a wingspan of more than 2 meters. On the pedestal of a complex configuration there are bronze plates with the texts: «For bravery at the capture of Ochakov December 6, 1788g», «Brigadier Ivan Petrovich Gorich from grateful Ochakovites», «Restored in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Great October Revolution». Authors: Honored Artist of Ukraine sculptor Makushin Yu.A., architect Rudenko S.A. When creating the monument preserved the idea and visual form of the previous one, added a plate with the date of restoration.
The first monument was erected in 1903 on Kutuzov Street, now 50th Anniversary of October Avenue, at the intersection with Goricha Street, now Schmidt Street.
is installed on the top of the pyramid.
Over time, the monument was destroyed. It was a pedestal made of coquina stone faced with tiles. On the pedestal is a pyramid of natural cannonballs, on its top is a cast eagle by Odessa sculptor Eduardsa B.V. It was made on donations from the soldiers of the garrison and funds of Gorich’s great-grandson, the head of the Kherson zemstvo. The author of the monument is a military engineer Lieutenant Colonel Lebedinsky, who served in the Kherson garrison. In 1985 in Ochakov came to Ochakov descendant of the family Gorich I.P., former officer of the Navy, associate professor of Nalchik University Begidov S.K. In the new microdistrict of the city one of the streets was again named after Gorich.