Odessa. What to see, where to visit and recreation centers on the seashore

the Odessa Opera House is a masterpiece of baroque construction and the most beautiful theater in the world. Built by the authors of operas in Vienna and Dresden, the theater in Odessa rightfully competes with these buildings. Its style is attributed to the Renaissance and Baroque, but the interiors are more impressive than the façade. The Rococo-style auditorium is decorated with paintings of scenes from Shakespeare, and the vault is crowned with a huge chandelier. There is a museum in the theater; you can get here on a guided tour.

Deribasovskaya Street is the central pedestrian zone of the city. Its name is immediately associated with the local flavor, although the name of Deribas is associated with the difficult years of the city’s development, because this man was the first mayor. The monument to Deribas stands at the beginning of the street, and the pedestrian zone itself is built up with low houses of the 19th century. There are many cafes and shops here, and city festivals and events are constantly taking place on the street. On Deribasovskaya there is also a public garden in the city garden, where you can find monuments to Leonid Utesov and the famous “twelfth chair”.

In the Odessa region, you can visit the recreation center in Zatoka on the Mayak seashore, nearby there is a central alley with children’s attractions, a shooting range, discos, restaurants, bars and various entertainments.

the Odessa fortress was built in 1794 by Suvorov after the capture of Khadzhibey. In 1807, a quarantine wall with towers was erected nearby, as well as two small side walls. Already in 1811, the fortress was recognized as unsuitable for defense; it was subsequently dismantled. Now there is a central recreation park, the Chernomorets stadium. All that remains of the defensive structures is one wall with a tower, a separate tower and a small bastion. The Alexander Column now stands on it. From the fortress you can see an impressive view of the seaport.

The maritime terminal itself is one of the largest in Europe. It was the construction of the port that gave life to the new city after the capture of the Khadzhibey fortress. The seaport was completely rebuilt in 1968 and is now more modern. The port building houses a tall hotel. There are monuments in different parts of the pier, and there is an open museum of anchors. On the bow of the pier there is a maritime church of St. Nicholas and a yacht club.

The symbol of Odessa, the Potemkin Stairs, leads to the seaport. This area was the main part of the city, as it was the route used by all who arrived here. Built in 1841, the stairs have 10 flights and 192 steps. The lower part is slightly wider than the upper part, visually lengthening the stairs. A funicular line, opened in 1902 and rebuilt in 2005, runs nearby.

Another unofficial symbol of local charm is the Privoz Market. This interesting and large bazaar offers all sorts of goods, with the opportunity to haggle (haggling in Odessa is a special attraction in itself). The market opened in the early 19th century as a place for trading from carts, but permanent buildings were later erected. The market is considered one of the largest in Europe. On the market grounds is a monument to Aunt Sonya, a symbol of Odessa’s charm. Visitors are often directed to the fish stalls, where the spirit of the old Privoz has been preserved.