- What to visit in old Odessa
- Unusual transport
- List of attractions
- Monuments of Odessa
The main definition that fits this city is direct, and, of course, there are many places to visit in Odessa. But, as the old-timers say, everything is not the same: the composition of the population has changed, and the spirit of the old streets and quarters is slowly dying, trade on Privoz is becoming a thing of the past, colorful phrases that could be heard from the lips of every second inhabitant are disappearing and a day later inserted into their own monologue.
What to visit in old Odessa
There is only one option - not to set specific goals, not to mark them on the tourist map, but simply to hit the road through the old quarters, streets and squares, looking into courtyards and dead ends, trying to find familiar city landscapes, to meet colorful characters, as if they appeared from the pages of famous books Ilf and Petrov or from the screens of cinemas.
You can find Malaya Arnautskaya street or walk along Deribasovskaya street, where there is always “good weather”. A wonderful place for a promenade - Primorsky Boulevard, there are excellent observation platforms, where the sea is in full view, and idyllic seascapes instantly appear in front of your eyes with a small black dot-ship on the horizon, leaving a thin plume of smoke.
Unusual transport
In modern Odessa, tourists are offered three not quite usual types of transport for movement within the city:
- funicular, a backup to the Potemkin Stairs, helping to master the road for young tourists, older guests and lazy people, regardless of the number of years entered in the passport;
- pleasure boats for which there are no traffic lights, police officers, restrictive rules;
- cable car leading from the beach with the cute name "Otrada" straight to French Boulevard.
Given that Odessa is located on the Black Sea, boats, boats and yachts at least once, but all the guests of the city use it.
List of attractions
Of what to visit in Odessa on your own, you can single out several directions that are interesting to tourists - palaces, museums, monuments of architecture and culture. During its long history, this seaside town has gone through many unpleasant minutes and days associated with invaders from different countries. However, they managed to preserve historical monuments, including several palaces.
A walk along Primorsky Boulevard will eventually lead to the Vorontsov Palace, a magnificent architectural structure that has repeatedly changed its purpose during its life: initially it housed the residence of the Governor-General, later a men's gymnasium, and during the years of Soviet power - the Palace of Pioneers. Not only the palace complex attracts attention, but also the beautiful colonnade located nearby, the author of both architectural structures dating back to the beginning of the 19th century is the Italian Franz Boffo.
It is interesting that the project of this famous architect of Italian origin was also used in the construction of the Palace of the Tolstoy Counts. This complex is designed in the style of classicism, the art gallery, built later, in the spirit of the baroque. Now this palace has a special mission - it is called the House of Scientists and is the largest scientific and cultural center.
The name of the next Odessa palace, located not far from the Vorontsov architectural complex, may confuse a tourist. The Shah's palace does not in any way resemble the amazing oriental structures, on the contrary, it is similar to the British fortresses of the Middle Ages. The complex got its name in 1909, when the Persian shah settled here, who fled to Odessa because of the revolutionary events. He did some decoration work in the oriental style that was familiar to him.
Monuments of Odessa
The city has monuments dating back more than one century, and modern ones, erected in honor of cultural figures or simply outstanding literary heroes. At the suggestion of Mikhail Zhvanetsky, a famous satirist, a monument to Rabinovich appeared in the city. This popular hero of Odessa jokes could not help but be honored to be embodied in bronze. With the installation of the monument, the myth began that the protagonist needs to be rubbed by the ear for a successful deal. If you look closely, you will notice that the color of the ear is significantly different from the entire sculpture.
Another interesting modern monument - Odessa-mother, is made in the form of a real Odessa woman, clutching her favorites to her chest, in which city residents recognize famous political, military and cultural figures who influenced the development of the city.
The third monument from this company is the protagonist of the novel by Ilf and Petrov, but this is not Ostap Bender, and not Kisa Vorobyaninov, in general, not a living creature. The monument is called "12th chair", and this is exactly the chair that did not go to those who wanted easy money. Now this chair is in the spotlight of millions of tourists who rush to sit on it and capture their happy faces in the photo.
