Attractions of Odesa

The first specialized numismatic museum in Ukraine appeared in Odesa on the occasion of the 205th anniversary of the city.

The founder is the oldest public organization in Odesa - Odesa City Society of Collectors.

The museum collection includes more than 2.5 thousand coins and other exhibits. All periods in the history of the origin of civilization and statehood on Ukrainian soil, as well as the history of coinage and money circulation of Ukraine from ancient times to the period of independent development of the state are presented.

Also on display are antique pottery and ancient Rus small sculptures. In particular, metal pendant badges with signs of princely power of the Rurik family.

The artistic treasures of Odesa are preserved and popularized by the Odesa National Art Museum (OFAM).

He has an outstanding collection of all kinds of fine arts: painting, graphics, sculpture, arts and crafts, icon painting by Ukrainian and Russian masters from the XVI century to the present, numbering more than 10 thousand original works.

The museum is located in the ancient Potocki-Naryshkin Palace, which was built in 1823-1826 by Countess Olha Potocka (married to Naryshkin), daughter of Stanislav and Sofiya Potocki. The construction was supervised by the Italian architect Franchesko Boffo. This is a typical noble estate in the style of classicism with a two-story central building and side wings, which are connected by round galleries. The decoration of the ceiling, marble and parquet floors with inlay has been preserved. In the basement of the building there is an artificial cave with a grotto, which is connected by underground passages with the catacombs of Odesa (visit only accompanied by a guide).

In 1888 the palace was bought by Odesa Mayor Hryhoriy Marazli, and in 1899 on the initiative of the Odesa Society of Fine Arts it opened the City Museum of Fine Arts, which still functions as the Odesa National Art Museum.

The exhibition presents works by Vasyl Tropinin, Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Aivazovskyi, Oleksiy Savrasov, Ivan Shishkin, Illya Repin, Mykola Pymonenko, Oleksandr Murashko, Arkhyp Kuyindzhi, Mykhaylo Vrubel, Mykola Rerikh, Oleksandr Benua, Zinayida Serebryakova. Vasyl Kandynsky's "Sunlit Street" is considered a world-class masterpiece.

On the evening of November 5, 2023, Russia launched a massive missile attack on the historic center of Odesa. As a result of the Onyx and Iskander-M missiles, the Odesa National Art Museum, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, suffered significant damage. In the museum, the walls were damaged, the windows and glass were broken, and the high-pressure water pipe was damaged.

Odesa Port Museum named after Frants de Volan was founded in 1990 on the initiative of the port worker and collector Mykola Hlib-Koshansky, and was opened for the 200th anniversary of Odesa.

The museum is located in the ancient building of the barge - a night house for port loaders.

The exhibition is based on a unique collection of documents dedicated to the history of the construction and development of the Odesa seaport, founded in 1796 according to the plans of the Dutch engineer Frants de Volan. In particular, de Voland's plans for the development of the city and the harbor are presented.

There is also an exhibition of the naval museum, which was previously located in the building of the Odesa Sea Station. The pride of the museum is several hundred ship models.

Excursions are conducted with a visit to the museum and the port.

Odesa Regional Academic Drama Theater, the oldest theater in the south of Ukraine, was built in 1875 by the merchant Velikanov, and was intended for the performances of the drama troupe beloved by Odesa residents by the famous provincial actor and entrepreneur Mykola Myloslavskyi.

Initially, the theater was named after the owner "Velikanov Theater", but in 1875 Velikanov sold the theater to Feliks Rafalovych, who called it the Russian Theater. Before the Bolshevik coup of 1917, the Russian theater served as the venue for the city's biggest theatrical events. Stars of the world stage played here: Sara Bernard, Volodymyr Davydov, Mariya Zankovetska, Panas Saksahanskyi, Mark Kropyvnytskyi and others. During the years of Soviet power, the state Odesa Russian Drama Theater was finally registered in this building.

In 2003, it opened after almost two years of reconstruction. Having preserved several of the best performances created earlier, the theater has performed a number of new high-profile productions.

On March 2, 2022, in connection with Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the theater team made a decision to rename the theater - the word "Russian" was removed from its name.

The Odesa Regional Philharmonic is located in a massive gray building built in 1899 according to a sketch project by the Viennese architect Vikentiy Prohaska, redesigned by the outstanding Italian architect Oleksandr Bernardatstsi in the style of Italian Gothic with elements of the Renaissance.

It was originally built as the New Merchant Exchange. The acoustics of her hall were planned in such a way that the merchants who traded on the stock exchange could not overhear each other's conversations. In 1949, the building of the New Exchange was rebuilt for the Philharmonic, however, according to Odesa residents, the acoustics in it are still bad.

The wooden ceiling of the hall is made without a single nail from Lebanese cedar, gilded and painted. The walls of the hall are decorated with 6 panels by the artist Mykola Karazin.

The Odesa Zoo is located in Preobrazhenskyi Park near the railway station and Pryvoz.

The zoo was founded in Odessa in 1922, and was originally located on Primorsky Boulevard in the area of ​​the lower garden of the Vorontsov Palace. It was opened in the current location in 1937.

The Odesa Zoo contains rare animals listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the European Red List and the Red Book of Ukraine - 24 species: Far Eastern leopards, horses, baboons-hamadrils, brown bears, steppe cranes, peregrine falcons, owls and many more others

The Odesa Zoo is the only one in Ukraine where Indian elephants have successfully bred and became the happy parents of three baby elephants.

Excursions are conducted by advance order.

The Oleksandr Pushkin Literary Memorial Museum was opened in the building of the former Hotel du Nord, where the poet lived for a month during a visit to Odesa in 1823.

In Odesa he created the poem "Gypsies", completed the poem "Bakhchysaray fontan", wrote thirty lyric poems and two and a half chapters of the novel "Yevheniy Onyehin".

The exhibition presents engravings of Pushkin's Odesa, portraits of the poet's contemporaries, his drawings, rare lifetime publications.

Hotel "Passage" on Deribasivska Street is one of the most beautiful buildings in Odesa, which impresses with the sophistication of its architecture and sculptural compositions (architect Lev Vlodek).

From the beginning, it was designed as a hotel and shopping center. In the courtyard there is a whole street with rows of high-end shops. The high glass roof above the gallery adds to the sense of vastness and brings light into the building.

It remains one of the few hotels in the historic center where you can stay relatively inexpensively.

Arboretum Peremohy (Victory) in the resort district of Odesa Arkadiya was founded in 1960. It occupies an area of 55 hectares.

More than 500 species of trees and shrubs, including heat-loving exotics, have been planted in the park. On Druzhba Avenue, trees were planted by cosmonauts Valeriy Bykovsky, Heorhiy Shonin, and members of hero city delegations. There is a system of artificial ponds with fountains.

Many scenes of the film "Adventures of Electronics" were filmed here.

Peremohy Park is considered one of the best in Odesa, especially after the recent reconstruction.

Potomkin Stairs on Prymorsky Boulevard in Odesa is the main entrance to the seaside city from the port. Being an architectural dominant, it is considered one of the symbols of Odesa.

Designed by the architect Franchesko Boffo , the 192-step staircase (originally there were 200) was built in 1841. on the initiative of Governor General Count Mykhaylo Vorontsov. From the monument to Duke on Prymorsky boulevard, there are 10 flights of stairs going down to the Sea Station of Odesa Port. Their lower part is slightly wider than the upper part, which when viewed from above creates the illusion that their width is the same along the entire length, and when viewed from below, makes it visually longer.

The Potomkin Stairs got their current name and worldwide fame thanks to Serhiy Eyzenshteyn's film "The Battleship Potomkin", in the key scene of which a baby carriage rolls down the stairs.

A funicular line was laid parallel to the Potomkin Stairs in 1902 (reconstructed in 2005).

Prymorskyi Boulevard is one of the most beautiful streets of Odesa, a favorite place for walks by citizens and tourists.

Planted with hundred-year-old sycamores, chestnuts, maples and lindens, the pedestrian boulevard runs over the cliff parallel to the seashore.

Among a number of buildings in the style of classicism and early Italian renaissance, which form the main sea facade of Odesa, a special place is occupied by the "Londonsky" hotel, where many celebrities stayed.

The main decoration of Prymorskyi Boulevard is the Potemkinskyi (Prymorskyi) stairs (1841) in 192 steps, which descend to the Maritime Terminal (the funicular operates nearby). Above the stairs is a monument to the most famous Odesa mayor, Arman de Rishelye (Dyuk).

Fragments of an ancient settlement of the V-III centuries BC were discovered on the boulevard, and a glass pavilion was built over the archaeological site.

The famous Odesa Pryvoz is a colorful market where "you can buy everything", one of the symbols of Odesa.

Built in the first half of the 19th century on Pryvozna Square as a branch of the Old Market, Pryvoz was originally intended for trade "from wheels", i.e. from carts (voz). Capital buildings appeared only at the end of the 19th century, and Pryvoz gradually became the main market of Odesa. It was considered one of the largest markets in Europe.

In recent years, a modern complex "Novy Pryvoz" was built nearby, which offered merchants well-equipped shopping areas.

A monument to Aunt Sonya, the heroine of Odesa folklore, was opened.

Tourists are especially recommended to visit the fish rows in the old part of the market, which preserve the Odesa flavor of trade.

The Saint Archangel Michael Church in Odesa was founded in 1828.

After the completion of construction in 1833, the church had two side altars: in the name of the Holy Prophet Ilya and in the name of the icon of the Mother of God Feodorivska.

In 1841, a 3rd-class monastery was founded at the church. The construction of the monastery was carried out with the assistance of Odesa merchants. An asylum for round orphans of the spiritual rank was opened at the monastery, later transformed into the Diocesan Women's School. Since then, the monastery has become a center of charity, charity and spirituality, and later became famous for its icon painting and sewing of robes.

In 1923, the monastery was closed, and in 1931, the Archangel Michael Cathedral and the bell tower were blown up. The monastery premises were transferred to the Higher Agricultural School. During the Romanian occupation, in 1942, the monastery was reopened and it remained active for almost 20 years.

The revival of the Archangel Michael monastery began in 1991. A monastery shelter was erected on the territory - a modern building of the House of Mercy, a chapel was built, and the "Christian Odesa" museum was opened.

Subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Saint Panteleymon monastery is the largest in Odesa. It was created in 1995 on the site of the Athos courtyard, which was founded in Odesa by Greek monks from Athos in 1876 to receive pilgrims who came from Odesa to worship holy places.

Built from stone mined on Mount Athos and brought to Odesa. The five domes of the monastery, unusual moldings and mosaics on the walls reflect a mixture of various architectural movements of the 19th century.

The Saint Panteleymon Cathedral is located on the third floor, representing the holy Mount Athos.

Saint Paul's Church in Odesa is the cathedral of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, the main Protestant church of the city.

In 1824, the foundation of the church was laid according to the project of the architect Franchesko Boffo. The project turned out to be unsuccessful - the half-completed belfry and 10 columns on the front side soon fell. To complete the construction, other architects were involved, and in 1827 Saint Paul's Church was consecrated. It looked quite simple then, in a strict classical style, with a small tower above the altar part.

After the major reconstruction carried out in 1897 by the German architect Herman Shevrembrandt, the architecture and interior decoration changed a lot. Shevrembrandt gave the church features of the Gothic and Romanesque styles, based on the example of German churches. The 50-meter bell tower became the tallest building in Odesa at that time.

After the Second World War, Saint Paul's Church was used for decades as a sports hall and warehouse. In the 1990s, it was returned to the city's Lutheran community and restored.