
Odesa – Tourist Attractions
GUEST POST
Odesa is a quite young and a unique city. It has absorbed a multicultural mix of people because at the city’s high point of its prosperity, it welcomed Italians, French, Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians and many others whose names are immortalized in its history. Odesa was founded by José de Ribas – Spaniard by birth who grew up in Italy. The main street of the city – Derybasivska –was named in his honor.

Local people from Odesa have an excellent sense of humor and hospitality, so they are well received all over the world. You can joke with them but most importantly – always know when to stop because in this city the inhabitants really love their hometown and will protect it.
This was the first monument in Odesa that was erected in the middle of the 19th century by the famous Russian sculptor, Ivan Martos. Duke Armand de Richelieu was Governor-General of New Russia and Bessarabia for 11 years. During these years a commercial court was opened in Odesa and as the city’s population increased, there was a lot of trees planted, the consulates of 7 countries were opened and much more. During the plague of 1812, he personally helped the sick and divided the city into two sections – the infected and healthy. Odesans honor the memory of Richelieu and treat him with great respect.

“Passage Hotel” is located in the city center – on Derybasivska street. The building was build in the late 19th/early 20th century and the central part of it was conceived as an indoor glass-roofed courtyard. The ground floors have always been occupied by shopping arcade. At the beginning of the last century, there were shops selling glassware, jewelry, gramophones, musical instruments and more. The architect was Leo Vlodek.

Near the hotel Passage is the city garden. This is was first small park in Odesa. It was presented to the city in perpetuity by the brother of José de Ribas – Felix. Today in the garden sits a musical rotunda where on the weekends an orchestra often plays. In the garden there are four small monuments: “The Twelve Chairs” (from the book “The Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov), “Leonid Cliffs” (Odesa’s great singer and musician, the first to play jazz in the city), “Sergei Utochkin” (famous athlete, pilot) and the “Tree of love” (with the word “love” in 65 languages).

In the first half of the 19th century, the Richelieu Lyceum was opened on Derybasivska Street. It got its name in honor of the Governor-General of Odesa, the Frenchman, Armand de Richelieu. The institution was attended by such personalities as Tsar Nicholas I, the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, the surgeon Nikolai Pirogov among others. For a while the famous Russian scientist taught there. It was the first higher education institution in the city, which in 1865 was transformed into the Novorossiysk Imperial University (now the Odesa State University Mechnikov). Today in the old complex of the Richelieu Lyceum are residential apartments, offices, restaurants and hotels.

According to the magazine «Forbes» Odesa Opera House, is one of the most beautiful sights in Europe. It was designed by two Austrian architects – Fellner and Helmer in 1887. At the same time a new power plant was built, which was created specifically to supply the opera building. The building is in the Viennese baroque style. Placed on the facade are busts of outstanding contributors to Russian literature and music – Nikolai Gogol, Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Griboyedov and Alexander Pushkin.
The interior of the theatre is decorated in the Rococo style. Within its walls have performed and worked many outstanding singers, dancers and actors, as well as, great composers, such as Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov. The first opera was opened in 1809 by a contemporary of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Unfortunately, the building burned down in 1873 but ten years later, construction began of the theater as we know it now. These days, every tourist who arrives in Odesa, is obliged to visit this legendary place.

The building of the Archaeological Museum in Odesa was designed by the architect Torricelli. After some time, it was rebuilt under the leadership of architect F. Gonsiorovskiy. It housed a museum of antiquities and a library, which was eventually was moved to another location. The museum was built in the antiquities style, with a portico and columns. Winged sphinxes on the roof symbolize time and wisdom.

Modest on the outside but rich on the inside (designed in the classical, baroque and imperial styles), the Literary Museum contains the work of more than three hundred writers’ names associated with Odesa. Among them are such figures as Yuri Olesha, Isaac Babel, Valentin Kataev, Roots Chukovsky Paustovsky, Ilya Ilf, Evgeny Petrov, Vera Inber, Nikolai Gogol, Lesia Ukrainka, Konstantin Simonov, and many others.
The museum (architect L. Otton) is located in a former palace of Prince Gagarin. Especially beautiful is the Golden Hall. According to legend this is where the famous Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt played. The museum has also garden sculptures. Every year, on April 1 Odesites come here for the grand opening of a new sculpture.


The great Russian poet lived in the city in 1823-1824. He served as a secretary-clerk in the office of the Governor-General Mikhail Vorontsov. Pushkin glorified Odesa in one part of his novel “Eugene Onegin”. “I lived in dusty Odesa ..” – he described his impression of being in the city. The monument was built in 1889 with funds raised by the city’s residents. A bronze fountain in the form of dolphins adorns the sides of the monument.


Conor Clyne, creator of the Tsar Experience, at the famous Potemkin Stairs in Odesa
At the time, the stairs was admired by such famous artists as Alexander Green, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Alexander Ostrovsky. It is believed that this building was given a birthday Elizabeth Vorontsova – the wife of Prince Mikhail Vorontsov, who for 21 years was the Governor-General of New Russia (Odesa was part of the Novorossiysk Territory) and Bessarabia.

The monument to Catherine the Great and her companions was established in 2007 and is a replica of the one demolished in the 1920s. Below Catherine II sit José de Ribas, Franz de Volan, Grigory Potemkin-Tauride and Platon Zubov – individuals who participated in the liberation of the village of Hadzhibey (in 1794 renamed ‘Odesa’) from the Turks, as well as contributing to the construction and prosperity of the city.
At the foot of the Empress is a fallen Turkish flag – a sign of victory over the Turks, who occupied the territory of the future Odesa. In the hands of the Empress’s edict: “We take command of the port and the city.”.



In Odesa, you can come at any time of year because you can always find something to do. You can visit the museums, galleries and sightsee. The only thing you need to know is the fact that in winter there is slush so often need to come with good, waterproof shoes and in the summer – a bottle of water and a hat for protection from the sun. But be careful of the taxi prices – taxi drivers in Odesa are very fond of overcharging.

If you are traveling, be sure to include Odesa in your itinerary because it is very beautiful and unusual. Coming here, you will definitely feel the extraordinary energy of this place. There are a lot of street musicians and talented people. They often laugh and smile. There are a huge number of restaurants and cafes catering to all tastes. It would be really nice if before the visit here you watched a few movies about the city, or read a book. In this case, it will be easier to navigate your way through the city. Odesa is always happy when guests arrive!

“I hope this short story about the sights will help you understand what is Odesa. I was born, grew up and chose my own path here and thus, feel like a patriot of his city. I hope that you too will join the legion of Odesa’s fans.”