If there is such a thing as that infamous special “place in the sun,” it is undoubtedly found in Odessa. Here, people love and hate with all their hearts and share grief and joy equally. At the same time, they carefully ensure that everyone gets their fair share.
Every street of this city breathes with history and sparkling humor, while the housewives bake the most delicious pies. Secretly, they share the freshest gossip with each other, yet zealously guard their own skeletons in the closet. And all this against the backdrop of the azure sea, palm trees, languid bodies on the beaches, and weary ships in the port docks.
The colorfulness of Odessa, the “pearl by the sea,” can be talked about for hours without repeating oneself, but it’s better to visit this city and see all its charms with your own eyes.
Interesting Facts About Odessa:
- Once upon a time, the site of modern Odessa was home to the ancient Greek city of Odessos. Since then, almost everything has changed: the architecture of buildings, the layout, the population, but the name has remained almost the same.
- A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Odessa in the first half of the 19th century. Local landowner A. Teutul lit a huge bonfire on the territory of his estate, which a passing ship mistook as a signal to approach the shore. The ship was wrecked, resulting in the death of many sailors.
- The Potemkin Stairs, one of the main attractions of Odessa, actually has no connection to Prince Potemkin. Its construction was initiated by Vorontsov, who wanted to please his wife. The name became associated with the architectural structure only after the release of the film “Battleship Potemkin.”
- According to one version, the famous Pushkin oak, adorned with a golden chain, is located in Odessa. Specifically, it can be found on Langeronovskaya Street, where there are no other trees.
- In Odessa, even architects and builders love playful jokes, so while strolling through the city streets, passersby may come across houses with one missing wall. This optical illusion is created by a wall angled at 45 degrees, making it appear as if the wall is missing.
- A monument to Lenin, slated for demolition under the decommunization law, was “reprofiled” into a statue of Darth Vader. This attraction is beloved by those wishing to use free internet, as a Wi-Fi transmitter is located atop it.
- Odessa is famous worldwide thanks to the O. Dovzhenko Film Studios. Many well-known masterpieces were filmed here, including “The Three Musketeers” and “Meeting Point Cannot Be Changed.”
- Odessa has its own Alley of Glory, which opened in 2014. Among the “stellar names” are A. Akhmatova, I. Bebel, L. Utesov, M. Zhvanetsky, and others.
- The city also showcases exhibitions of wax figures. The museum complex, humorously named “At Baba Yuta’s,” is a popular attraction.
- Another “must-visit” spot for tourists is the Chocolate Museum. According to Reuters, in 2009, sweet sculptures from this museum made it into the top ten best world art pieces.
- Odessa is home to 15 Ukrainian record holders.
- Veniamin, who officially held the title of the oldest cat, spent all his measured years in Odessa. However, the beloved feline recently passed away.
- In order to provide the city’s residents with water during its early days, fountains were installed and simply named Small, Big, and Medium. These fountains met the drinking water needs of most areas of the city, and during the plague outbreak in 1829, Odessites were the first in the world to chlorinate the water in these sources to kill the infection.
- The final solution to the water supply problems came with the opening of the Dniester-Odessa water pipeline in 1873. However, this led to another issue: wastewater management. In 1877, Odessa was among the first cities to introduce sewage systems.
- The notorious criminal authority Mishka Yaponchik lived and conducted his activities in Odessa. Thanks to his humane views, professionals like lawyers, artists, and doctors were off-limits to thieves. Isaac Babel wrote about this colorful personality in his series “Odessa Tales.”