Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Odessa is a beautiful city on the Black Sea, and the chances are good that you have never been here. But beware: the residents of Odessa will not understand it if you've never been here.

Odessa Port

Odessa: a Country of its Own

Odessa does not boast a long history. The city was founded slightly more than 200 years ago on the place called Khadjibey that was populated mainly by Turkic tribes. After the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792 the lands came under Russian rule and in 1794 Odessa was founded as a fortress and a port on the Black Sea. However, the small settlement quickly turned into the Russian Empire's fourth important city after St. Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw. Much success was brought by the appointment of Duc de Richelieu, who served as the city's governor between 1803-1814 and put much into Odessa's future growth and prosperity. Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septe­manie du Plessis, duc de Richelieu was actually grandson of King Louis XV of France's renowned favorite, duc de Richelieu and marshal of France. Armand came to Russia through Austria after the French Revolution. Catherine the Great then offered the former French statesmen positions in the Russian Army which enabled Armand to make a tremendous career. In 1814 he reluctantly left rich and important Odessa to become French Prime Minister two times.

[Olga]

Odessa gained much from the right of being a "free port," which it enjoyed to the full between 1819-1858. It turned into a pure European city full of magnificent buildings, shops and markets ready to sell and buy everything all the time.

Originally, this cosmopolitan city, which eventually became the capital of the Novo­rossiya (New Russia) Odessa, was densely populated by people of different nationalities and origins. Thus, many streets carry Jewish, Greek, Arnaut (Albanian), Polish and Italian  names, as well as others. The most famous street of Odessa bears the name Deribasovskaya, derived from the distinguished Spaniard Jose de Ribas who led
troops against Kha­djibey.

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Odessa is undoubtedly a special place. There are a lot of sights to see there, but the main thing is to feel the unique atmosphere of a city that has always been a melting pot for nations, professions, tramps, high brow intellectuals and outright rogues.

Wherever you may stay in Odessa, whether in the center near the port or at some cozy place in the comfortable suburb of Arkadia, I recommend following some basic rules to enjoy your stay to the full.

In Odessa, as the saying goes, you do not need to wake up early, nor should you stay in bed too long. Just get up at the right time. Remember that everybody is very busy in Odessa, but nobody is ever in a hurry. No Odessite will ever hurry to work (if not for emergency), but have a walk up to work and then back to home in the evening. Even stray cats and dogs put on airs and do not simply stroll to and fro, but seem to head for their definite cats and dogs' businesses.

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Never, ever say the common and polite "How do you do?" in Odessa unless you are ready to listen to an hour long monologue on local news, weather, relatives and great grandmother's health. But feel free to tell a few pleasing niceties about the city and you will get a lecture or even a tour of the streets and sights. You will rarely meet such patriots in any other part of the world.

Certainly, Odessa is more a city to feel, but there are really things to see as well. In the 19th century Odessa proudly had the reputation of South Palmira (as opposed to St. Petersburg, North Palmira) and was one of the wealthiest cities of Imperial Russia. The city was then said to be more European than Russian. Many foreigners worked there, it was easier to find European literature and newspapers. Moreover, Odessa has always been an artist's paradise. Its baroque Opera and Ballet Theater, first built in 1810 and rebuild after fire in 1887, still remains one of the best in the world and a definite must-see for every tourist. Tchaikovsky and Rakh­maninov conducted their own concerts there, the Theater's stage also saw performances by  Enrico Caruso, Feodor Chaliapin, Anna Pavlova, Isadora Duncan and many others.

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Not far from the Theater stretches Primorsky boulevard that bears one of the city's symbols: a monument to Duc de Richelieu on top of the 142-meter long (about  465 feet) Potemkin stairs, which is another cultural landmark itself. It is built in such a way that you can see only landings from its top and only steps from the bottom. The stairs became extremely popular after Sergei Eisenstein's famous motion picture The Battleship Potem­kin (1925), which showed dozens of people running down the stairs away from czarist soldiers.

Potemkin stairs

Odessa: a Country of its Own

monument to Duc de Richelieu

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Any visitor really must first get down to the port and then as an option take a cable car on the way back (which is strange enough, for free). After the Theater and the Duke better have a pleasant walk along Primorsky boulevard. Then see Vorontsov palace at the end of the boulevard (the former governor general's mansion) and the so-called mother-in-law bridge. Rumors say the bridge was constructed by one of Odessa's mayors in the 1970s so that he could make a shortcut over a ravine on the way to his mother-in-law's. Now the bridge has become popular among lovers and newly-weds.

Primorsky boulevard

Odessa: a Country of its Own

Vorontsov palace

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

Then, take a nice quiet stroll up Gogol Street alongside magnificent ramshackle buildings with dusty telamons and mascarons together with old Ladas, dirty linen and old school Odessites lounging in the background. Sooner or later you will find Deri­basovskaya. You can ask a passer-by for the shortest way, but you risk a question and answer session about yourself and how you like the city.

Odessa: a Country of its Own

[Olga]

If you are not inclined to such a pleasant conversation, try finding the way yourself. Deribasovskaya is a kind of Main Street with shops, cafés and the monument to Jose de Ribas.

Odessa: a Country of its Own

Do not miss a yard near de Ribas where enterprising Odessites made a monument to Ludvic Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto, which is still standing in the center of a lawn surrounded by wet linen and children digging in sand. Walk to the other end of Deriba­sovskaya staring along the way at numerous drug stores and undertakers' offices (which cannot but create an impression that Oddesites are more than preoccupied with medical care, but in vain) and visit City Garden and Cathedral Square.

[Olga]

If all this does impress you then visit Privoz, the old marketplace whose fame spreads far beyond Odessa. But be aware of pickpockets and swindlers swarming there. If you have more guts just visit the poor and legendary district of Moldavanka and see for yourself where Odessa is compensating for its magnificent city center and cultural paradise. Many notorious smugglers, mobsters and cheaters originated from there. Though quite a safe place during the day, Moldavanka can show its "hospitality" at night. Do not take unnecessary risks.

TO GET THERE

Odessa is easily reached by regular Transaero (direct) and Aerosvit (through Kiev) flights, as well as by daily train from Kievsky railway station, a 23-hour trip. However, a good alternative is to take a night train to Kiev, spend the day there, and take a night train from on to Odessa.

By Alexander Usoltsev
http://www.mnweekly.ru

[lindochka]

Ah, Olga, such sweet nostalgia early on a Sunday morning! Odessa was the place DM and I were first away together, and we loved it so much that we returned at least twice during our courtship and are thinking of going again for a vacation, maybe later this year. It's our Paris!

The thought of Privoz always makes me laugh -- such a wonderful market, I swear you could buy anything there, even a tank! DM loves Privoz, even just for ordinary food shopping, and it's very difficult to get him out of there. He has to look at everything, and compare prices on whatever he wants among all the vendors who are offering it.

The ladies selling potatoes and zelen flirted with him shamelessly right in front of me, but I had my "revenge" when we went to buy nuts and spices and the men selling those items were flirting just as shamelessly with me, as if DM didn't exist!