1. ODESSA to Experience ODESSA to Experience To see – beautiful creations of the famous European architects Felner and Gelmer, F. Boffo, A. Bernardazzi, G. Toricelli and F. Morandi, the mix of baroque, rococo French and Italian styles perform the modern but charming look of our city… To hear – exciting stories about the foundation and development of Odessa, as its history is closely connected with that of the Russian Empire, and its rich cultural background … To feel – the heat of southern sun and warm sea, fresh breeze and enormous hospitality of Ukrainian people mixed with southern friendliness and humor

2. Places to visit in Odessa The Potemkin Stairs The Potemkin Stairs (named after the rebellious battleship Potyomkin) are a formal entrance into the city from the the sea. The stairs leading from Prymorsky Boulevard down to the sea were constructed from 1837 through 1841 to the design of the architect F. Bofford. This imposing monument numbers 192 stairs arranged in ten flights and flanked by two-metre thick parapets. The difference in width between the highest (13.4 m) and the lowest (21.6 m) flights produces an optical illusion that enhances the grandeur of the structure. Another must-see in Odessa: visiting the monument to Duke Richelieu, Governor General of the territory and city mayor from 1803-1814, has become one of the symbols of Odessa. You can see the bronze bas-reliefs on the pedestal representing Trade, Justice and Agriculture. The inscription on the front side says" The grateful inhabitants of all estates of this city have erected this monument" The Odessians call this sculpture simply "Duke".

5. Places to visit in Odessa Magnificent Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater is once echoed with concerts conducted by Peter Tchaikovsky and ballets featuring Anna Pavlova. The interior of this impressive structure, which ranks in grandeur with Milan's La Scala and Moscow's Bolshoi, is richly decorated in Louis XVI style. Exquisite inside decor in the style of Viennese baroque blended with elements of the Italian Renaissance and French rococo, sculptural groups taken from Greek mythology, the stucco moldings and guilt friezes combined with the red velvet of the seats and boxes all this tends to create a special atmosphere.

6. Places to visit in Odessa The Theater, built in the 19th century, possesses a unique hall with a luxurious lobby, royal staircase and a number of massive mirrors. The horseshoe-formed circles of the hall yield a good view of the stage from all points of the hall. You can admire the exterior of the theater for hours: its central and side portico, sculptures and the magnificent dome. The central portico is crowned with a picturesque sculpture group, representing the goddess of theater, whose chariot is pulled by four panthers.

8. Places to visit in Odessa Laokoon The sculptural ensemble of Laokoon is located in front of the archeological museum. Laokoon is the Greek pagan priest. He didn't please the sea god Poseidon who sent snakes upon him and his sons... The famous painting "Laokoon" by El Greco is in the museum of Washington. Also, there's the sculpture of Laokoon in the Vatican. Odessas sculpture is its copy. City Hall Situated on Primorskiy Boulevard, its the building which housed the former old Stock Exchange in Odessa. Trading has always been the main source of Odessas income, so it is only natural that the Stock Exchange building occupied the foreground of the city and was further converted into the City Council and Mayors office.

9. Odessa City Hall

10. Odessa Philharmonic The building occupies the site of the former Odessa new Stock Exchange. Philharmonic Hall, an historic monument in Odessa, was opened in 1899. Designed by famous Odessa architect of Italian origin Mario Bernardazzi, the hall is a fine example of turn of the century architectural character of Odessa and of the Venetian Gothic style. The Cannon This monument, located in the southern part of Primorsky Boulevard near City Hall, is called simply "The Cannon. This unusual monument - a cannon on a wooden gun carriage -is a battle trophy of the Crimean War of 1854. The cannon was dismounted from the British frigate "Tiger" that took part in the city during the Crimean War. Places to visit in Odessa

11. City Garden The City Garden, founded in 1803 by then city mayor Osip De Ribas and his brother Felix, is a great tourist attraction in Odessa. There are a variety of tress in the park, white acacia, plane tree, chestnut tree and a gigantic poplar, called the " Pushkin Tree" the combination of which create a beautiful scenery. They say the greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who lived in Odessa during his southern exile in 1823-1824, used to sit on a bench under the polar. The memory of his stay is very dear to the Odessians. The monument to Pushkin is standing today on Pushkin street Places to visit in Odessa Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy Cathedral In 1795, just one year after the founding of Odessa, the Nickolayev church was built on Sobornaya square. The cathedral became one of the biggest in Russia. It was almost 50 meters wide and over 100 meters long. It could accommodate over 10,000 people and was the pride of Odessa. In 1932 it was closed down. The square was officially renamed Soviet Army square, but unlike the over 170 other street and park name changes, the newer name never stuck with Odessians. In 1936 Stalin order the Cathedral destroyed. In a cowardly manner the cathedral was dynamited in the night. The church has begun to be rebuilt since 1999.

13. Places to visit in Odessa Odessa Archaeological Museum, one of the oldest in Ukraine, was founded in 1825. Its development was promoted by the Odessa Society of Antiquity and History, which had authority to carry out excavations in the Northern Black Sea Region. There are more than 160 000 exhibits. They are the basis of one of the largest collection of information sources about ancient history of Northern Black Sea region. The museum possesses rich collection of archaeological relics of primitive and classical culture, relics of ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome. Besides, there is a large and valuable collection of coins and medals. The best antique sculptures are exhibited in the vestibule of the building, specially built for the museum in 1883. The Russian Numismatic section is presented by "Zlatnick of Prince Volodimir", one of ten that remain in the world to nowadays. The Russian Empire is represented by coins minted during the Romanovs' dynasty, gold and silver medals, which were produced in honor of memorable events in the Russian history. The collection of Egypt antiques is the third most valuable in the former USSR. Wooden and stone sarcophagi, funeral inventory, stone slabs and fragments of papyrus with hieroglyphics are represented there.

15. Palaces Of Odessa Southern Palmira, Black Sea Babylon, Small Paris, the Capital of the South - these are only some epithets lavished on Odessa. And they are quite reasonable. The city didn't exist yet, but visitors watching the installation of the first port piles already predicted it brilliant future as if they foresaw the birth of the "golden city". Odessa was the favorite city of Catherine the Great and was being built by the best European architects. The most expensive and the highest quality materials were delivered to Odessa by sea. Architects from all parts of Europe brought to life their dreams in the various projects of building the city. That is why there are a great number of unique palaces, each of which has its own history no less interesting than the history of lives of their authors.

16. Palaces Of Odessa One of the most interesting palaces of Odessa is the Palace of the Field-Marshal of the Russian Empire, Governor of Novorosiyskiy krai, Michael Semenovich Vorontsov (vision from outside). The building was built on a high rock on the place of the Turkish fortress Yeni Dunya, in the style of Italian Renaissance by the project of Boffo. Not very big, the palace attracts the eyes with the ease, as the facades are sophisticated, but simple. The interiors artistic decorations should be mentioned as well. There are a number of picturesque plafonds and vivid pictures on the walls.

17. Palaces Of Odessa An essential part of the palace is the colonnade built on the high stepped scope on the very edge of the precipice. Ten pairs of the columns make a slight arc, which is very spectacular from the sea. The place was chosen so well that the colonnade can be easily seen from different parts of the city and the sea.

18. Palaces Of Odessa

19. Not far from the Vorontsov palace is The Shah Palace. Erected over a steep precipice, it was designed as a middle age British castle with unassailable looking towers and lancet arches. In the year 1794 under the direction of F. P. Devolan, construction of the new military hospital began. However, when half-complete, the building was demolished in 1800. But enviable building yards over the sea excited the minds of Odessa architects. In the second half of the 19th century the very talented architect F.V. Gonsiorovskiy built on this location the palace of the Polish magnate Brzhozovskiy. His plastic figures represent the examples of early English Gothic. The name "Shah Palace, with its special eastern coloring the palace gained in 1909, is connected to the legendary settling in Odessa of the disgraced Persian Shah Mohammed Ali. Nowadays the main office of one of the leading banks of southern Ukraine is located in the renovated building of the Palace.

21. Palaces Of Odessa The excursion through the palaces of Odessa goes on through one more creation of the architect Boffo - Tolstoys' Palace. Its architectural ensemble is represented by the building of the count's manor itself and the building of the picture gallery. It was built in 1832 by N. A. Horvat on the project of the architect Boffo in the style of Russian classicism. In 1896-1897 a picture gallery was built on the project of Vienna architects F. Felner and G. Gelmer. From the year 1934 there is The House of the scientists.

23. Palaces Of Odessa The excursion comes to its end with the visit to Naryshkin's Palace - a vivid example of and realization of classical architectural traditions of that time.. The architect Boffo took an active part in the building of the palace. The central part of the composition is a two storey building with 6 columned portico of Corinthian order and a pediment with an image of the arms. The central building is adjoined by single-story galleries. The characteristic feature of the building - is a big number of decorative arched elements in exterior and interior decor. The palace was built from shell rock which was quarried right from the place where the house was built. Hence; there are several void cellars and galleries, and in one of them there is an underground grotto. Now it is the location of the Art Museum

24. Your observation of Odessa would not be complete without visiting the labyrinth of catacombs that lace their way under the city and its surroundings. Odessa underground tunnels (catacombs) were created nearly 200 years ago during mining of building materials that were used to build the city. Currently it is a maze of 2,500 kilometers with hundreds of entrances, exits, caves, and tunnels. There are a lot of legends and myths about the catacombs. They gave shelter to homeless people; smugglers and thieves also used them. The catacombs were used as a refuge for slave traders, who smuggled stolen women out of the port of Odessa to the slave markets of Constantinople. Odessa Catacombs

25. Ancient Fortress (XII - XVI centuries) in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky Belgorod-Dnestrovsky is one of the most ancient cities on the planet. It is 2500 years old. It was founded by people who were from the Middle-East town of Milet. They built it in the mouth of the Tiras River (now the Dniester) and called it Tira. The Fortress belongs to a set of well- known monuments of historical importance. This architectural achievement of Medieval Defense is a sight to see. Ancient Fortress

26. Vilkovo is often referred to as the Venice on the Danube or a paradise of reeds and is there is probably no other place like it in Ukraine. The fact is that Vilkovo is a town made of sugar cane and silt built up through the titanic efforts of its residents. People chose a place on the Danube shoals, dug out silt from the water and piled it up to build a house with a garden. Vilkovo is more than 250 years old. It was founded by dissenting old believers, who escaped persecution and the kozaks of Zaporizhzhia and the Don River Venice of Danube