Attractions of Odesa

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 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.

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.

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".

The "Masks" theater in Odesa was opened in 2003 by the famous Odesa comedy troupe "Masks" in the premises of the former "Druzhba" cinema.

Performances of "Masks", based on the rich classical traditions of the Theater Del Arte, the Theater of the Absurd, comedians "Big Dumb", European clowning - are fireworks of fresh unbridled fantasy, embodied in the form of pantomime, choreography, drama, trick, where each actor develops his own unique image.

The theater has a "Masks" cinema, which shows the best arthouse and festival films every day. Creative parties and children's matinees take place in the art cafe "Mana-Mana Restaurant", the interior of which was created by the members of the "Masks Show" troupe.

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 cathedral were completely destroyed.