Chapter 2: Charming Odessa
Founded by Russia’s Catherine the Great in the late 18th century, Odesa, a decadent and energetic city right at the Black Sea, will be the point of interest of our excursion today.
Let us take you to a town known for its sunny climate, sandy beaches and beachside nightclubs. To people that are known for being stylish, funny, savvy and not easily impressed in the old USSR. We’ll arrive in Odesa in the morning and start the day right with a tour through the old town, starting in the Port with the founding of Odesa as a Russian Naval Fortress where we will pass by the Belvedere of Vorontsov’s Palace & the Monument of L-Utesov. Continuing to a monument to the city’s founders, including Catherine the Great. Moving on in history to the first Russian revolution in 1905 where the crew of the battleship potemkin stood up against the Russian regime over to the foundation of the Odesa Soviet Republic (which lasted almost two months, until it was sacked by German and Austrian-Hungarian forces) to the Bolshevik Uprising in 1917/1918, through the Ukrainian Independence and finally to the Trade Union House, where in January 2014 the bloodiest civil conflict in Odesa since1918 escalated. With the city’s origin as a Tatar settlement, it has always been the host of a multiethnic population which is still represented today in a large Russian minority of 30 %.
Odesa’s national opera and theatre – the jewel of Odesa’s architectural, designed by the same architects that also designed the Vienna state opera – and the Spaso-Preobazhenskj Cathedral, will introduce us in the Odessan architecture and diverse but simple beauty of the city. Additionally, we will visit the Odesa Privoz, a market filled with Soviet relics and the Museum of Western & Eastern Art.
In the evening we will explore Vul Derybasivska, the famous promenade of Odesa with its neo-renaissance architecture leading us to the potemkin steps with a beautiful view over the harbor. Passing by the Duke of Richlieu statue we will stroll along the tree-lined Primorsky Boulevard, a slight sea breeze accompanying us to the Arcadia district where beach clubs and loud music only leave us to say – Let’s party.
The morning after – if you are still able we would like to take you to one of Odesa’s famous beaches & soak up the sun, build a sandcastle or go for a swim – whatever your heart desires. In the afternoon we will take you back to Kiyv, while taking a little break in the fabled Uman – with its beautiful landscape and the center point of Jewish pilgrims travelling to see the burial site of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. In Jewish faith, it is believed that a travel to his grave provides the best chance of getting unscathed through the stern judgement.
Одесса. Городской сад. Odessa
Со стороны Дерибасовской вход в сад охраняет бронзовая львиная семья, привезенная в Одессу из Франции в XIXом веке. Городской сад всегда служил местом обмена новостями, отдыха. Сюда приходили и приходят послушать духовой оркестр. В Саду можно присесть на скамеечку с самим Л. Утесовым, сфотографироваться с Остапом Бендером и Кисой Воробьяниновым, увидеть главный их камень преткновения - один из двенадцати стульев. Прогуливаясь по живописным, утопающим в цветах улочкам парка, можно заметить, что где-то в его глубине находится фонтан духов, такого больше нет нигде в мире. Идея создания фонтана принадлежит французскому парфюмеру Кристофу Ланкарену. Каждый час из фонтана вместо воды распыляется ароматический состав. Открытие этого уникального сооружения было приурочено к 210 годовщине Одессы.
On the part of Deribasovskaya garden entrance guarded by a bronze lion's family, was brought to Odessa from France to XIXom century. City Garden has always served as a place to share updates, recreation. They came here and come to listen to the brass band. In the garden you can sit on a bench with himself L. Utesov, photographed with Ostap Bender and Kisoy Vorobyaninov, see their main stumbling block - one of the twelve chairs. Walking through the picturesque, drowning in the colors of the streets of the park, it can be seen that somewhere in its depths is a fountain spirits, this is no longer anywhere in the world. The idea of creating the fountain belongs to the French perfumer Christophe Lankarenu. Every hour of the fountain instead of water sprayed aromatic composition. The opening of this unique building was dedicated to the 210 anniversary of Odessa.