Attractions of Odesa

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 Paleontological Museum of the Odesa National University named after Ilya Mechnykov is one of the oldest in Ukraine and is among the top 10 paleontological museums in the world.

In 1865, simultaneously with the founding of the university, a geological department was opened, which had a paleontological department with 318 exhibits. In 1873, the outstanding zoologist and paleontologist Volodymyr Kovalevsky donated the first large author's collection of fossil remains of freshwater mollusks from the south of France. Since then, the paleontological museum has existed as an independent unit.

The museum contains the richest regional collection of fossil remains collected in the south of the East European Platform (Ukraine and Moldova), and unique collections of fossil fauna and flora that are absent in many other paleontological museums in the world.

The exhibits of the paleontological museum are located in three halls with a total area of ​​500 square meters. The museum's collections number over 60 thousand exhibits. The museum's library has over 10 thousand titles, most of which are works by the founders of paleontology and geology.

The museum's collection includes seven complete skeletons of vertebrates that existed in the region - a mastodon, a three-toed horse, a hornless rhinoceros, a Pliocene camel, an elephant, a cave bear, and a mammoth. Of great value are the skeletons of a mososaurus, an ichthyosaurus, a complete skeleton of a sea lily, and a unique skeleton of a dinornis.

The paleontological museum's exposition includes a diorama "Development of Life on Earth." Fifteen sections of the diorama sequentially unfold the main stages of the development of the planet and life on it. Each stage is illustrated by characteristic forms of fossil organisms, paleogeographic diagrams that reflect the position of land and sea.

The paleobotanical department of the museum is widely represented - it exhibits the Carboniferous flora of Donbas and the Neogene flora of Ukraine and Moldova.

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

From the beginning, the building was designed as a hotel and shopping center. In the courtyard of the Hotel "Passage" there is a whole street with rows of elite shops. The high glass roof above the gallery complements the feeling of immense space and brings light into the building.

"Passage" remains one of the few hotels in the historical center of Odesa, 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.

The Petrographic and Mineralogical Museum of the Odesa National University named after Illya Mechnykov is one of the oldest museums in Odesa and the Odesa region. Its collections include more than 10 thousand samples of minerals and rocks that reflect the material composition of the Earth's crust and the bottom of the World Ocean.

The history of the museum begins with the collection of the Ryshelevsky Lyceum, on the basis of which the Imperial University was opened in 1865. After the disbandment of the University by the Soviet authorities in 1921, the museum room with the collection resumed its activities in 1933 and received the status of the Petrographic and Mineralogical Museum.

The basis of the exposition part of the museum is the systematic collections of minerals and rocks. Thematic expositions on crystallography, genetic mineralogy, ontogeny of minerals, and geochemistry of minerals are presented separately. Along with natural minerals, an exposition of a large group of synthetic minerals is presented.

The meteorite collection stands out in particular. The main groups of meteorites are presented - iron, stony and iron-stone. Among them are meteorites that fell in the Odesa region. These are the "Odesa" and "Hrosslibental" meteorites.

Among the scientific collections, the collection of iron-manganese formations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, collected in the 80s during scientific voyages, is of particular value.

The exposition presents mineral formations of the Odessa catacombs and karst caves. Regional collections of minerals and rocks represent, first of all, Ukraine with its geological diversity. Of other regional collections, collections of minerals and rocks of the Urals, the Far East, Central Asia, Western and Central Europe (France, Germany, Czech Republic) are of interest.

The geological and mineralogical museum is forming a collection of artifacts of the Sabotinovska and Chernyakhivska cultures found in the Odesa region. The artifacts are represented by tools made of rocks. Their research is carried out within the framework of a new direction - archaeological geology, which uses geological research methods, in particular mineralogical and petrographic, to reconstruct the distribution routes of materials and tools in the Northern Black Sea region.

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 Potomkin (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 (Duke).

Fragments of an ancient settlement of the V-III centuries BC were discovered on the Prymorskyi 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 "Pryvoz" fish rows in the old part of the market, which preserve the Odesa flavor of trade.

The Rare Book Museum of the Scientific Library of the Odesa National University named after Ilya Mechnykov was opened in February 1979.

The Rare Book Museum's collection consists of rare and valuable publications selected from the general storage fund. Together with the library's personal collections, the museum's collection includes about 100 thousand publications.

Incunabula - books from the "cradle" period of book printing (the second half of the 15th century) - are represented by works on law, history and mathematics published in Nuremberg, Padua, Venice. The collection of 16th-century publications includes about 500 books in Latin, French, German, Italian, Czech, Polish, Greek, English. It presents publications by famous printers of Western Europe: Aldi, Giunta, Etsn, Plantin, Froben and other publishers.

Among the masterpieces of Ukrainian printing of the 16th century are the famous "Ostroh Bible" by Ivan Fedorov, and the book of the prominent theologian of the 4th century, Sфште Basil of Caesarea from Cappadocia - "On Fasting".

The library's holdings include lifetime editions of political and historical treatises by Hugo Grotius, Thomas Hobbes and John Milton, works by the great Czech educator Yan Amos Comenius, the famous Italian anatomist, botanist and physicist Marcello Malpighi, and the English physiologist William Harvey. The collection includes examples of the activities of the Elsevier House (Holland).

The collection of 18th century publications includes works by prominent European philosophers, scientists, writers, and travelers of that time.

The library presents lifetime and rare editions of classics of Ukrainian literature by Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, and Lesya Ukrayinka.

Of exceptional value is the so-called Radzivill Bible, printed in Brzeg (Brest-Litovsk) in 1563 - the first translation of the Bible into Polish.

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 Saint Panteleymon 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.

The Transfiguration Cathedral is the main Orthodox church of Odesa, rebuilt from scratch in 2002 after it was blown up in 1936 by the decision of the Soviet authorities.

Contemporaries were impressed by the magnificence of the interior of the temple. After the reconstruction in 1903, the Transfiguration Cathedral was one of the largest churches in the Russian Empire and could accommodate up to 9,000 people. Its dimensions in plan were 90 by 45 meters, and the height of the belfry was 72 meters.

In 2005, the remains of the governor-general of the Novorossiya region Prince Mykhaylo Vorontsov and his wife were reburied in the restored church.

On the night of July 23, 2023, Russia launched a massive missile attack on the historic center of Odesa, as a result of which the Savior and Transfiguration Cathedral suffered significant destruction. A Russian rocket hit the central altar, as a result of which the cathedral building was partially destroyed, the three lower floors were covered, the interior decoration and icons were significantly damaged, and the service premises of the lower part of the Transfiguration Cathedral were completely destroyed.

The Port of Odesa is one of the largest seaports in Eastern Europe, and was the largest in the Russian Empire. The construction of a new port at the Khadzhibey fortress, which was captured by Russian troops, started the city. Completely reconstructed in 1968.

In front of the building of the sea station, a sculpture of Ernst Unknown "The Golden Child" was installed, on the pier there is a monument to the sailor's wife. The tower of the high-rise "Odesa" hotel (2001) rises above the naval station. At the end of the pier - the church of Saint Nicholas, a new yacht club. On the territory there is a museum of open-air anchors.

The neo-Gothic building on a steep slope at the very beginning of Hoholya Street is called the Shah Palace in Odesa, because it was once rented by the Persian Shah.

The palace was built in 1851-1852 according to the project of the architect Feliks Gonsorovsky for the Polish nobleman Zenona Bzhozovsky, and the last owner was Count Yosyp Shenbek. Part of the premises was rented out.

From 1909 to 1917, the Persian Shah Mohammad Ali, who fled to Odesa from the revolution in Iran, lived in the palace. According to legend, with the beginning of the revolution in Russia, he also left the country, this time abandoning his harem.

During Soviet times, the "Shah Palace" housed the House of Folk Art. For some time, the restored building was occupied by the main office of the Maritime Transport Bank. Currently - the office of the transfer company "Eximnaftoprodukt".