About Odessa

Population: 1,079,215
Ethnic composition: Ukrainian 62,2%, Russian 26,8%, Bulgarian 3%, Moldovian 2%, other 6%.
Location: Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast (province) located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine.
City Area: 236.9 km2 (91.5 sq mi)
The southern Palmira, The Black Sea Babylon, Small Paris, The Capital of The South - these are some of the epithets that were given to Odessa! And it was not in vain, because when the city didn't exist yet and only the first harbor piles were put, people who watched this even then predicted brilliant future to the city, maybe they foresaw the birth of happy "golden city"!

Odessa is the largest port on the coast of the Black Sea in the South of Ukraine. It is a major industrial, cultural, scientific center and health resort of high countrywide meaning. Odessa occupies the territory about 160 square kilometers, stretches for 50 kilometers along the coastline of Odessa Bay and has population about 1,079, 215 million of people. In Odessa here are about 1400 streets, avenues, lanes, boulevards and squares. The scientists say that in Odessa here are 15 square meters of greenery per every citizen.

If you want to relax, Odessa is a great place to visit! We have many beautiful beaches and very developed structure of night life, with many disco clubs, cafes and restaurants, different entertainment programs and concerts. Common opinion of tourists who already visited Odessa is that it is very beautiful city and people here are very beautiful and hospitable too. You can find in Odessa everything you wish according to your interests and tastes!
Odessa is one from the largest resort centers of Ukraine. The climate of Odessa differs softness and moderation. An original regulator of climatic conditions is Black sea - it weakens heat in the summer and softens frosts in the winter. The combination of a sea and steppe climate, the warm sea, fine beaches, a plenty of sunny days an abundance of fruit and vegetables - all this creates here exclusive conditions for rest, tourism and strengthenings of health of people.

What is that special about the city of Odessa? Why does it attract so many different people till now? Before we go sightseeing through Odessa, let's take a look at this curious statistics. Very often numbers tell more than emotions.
-City of Odessa is a major Ukrainian sea port. Together with its satellite towns of Yuzhny and Ilyichevsk it forms a strategic transportation junction between Europe, Middle East and Asia.
-The city is a Ukrainian naval base and runs the largest fishing fleet, oil refining, chemicals, ship repairing, food processing and textile industries.
-Odessa has the highest in Ukraine density of population.
-25 of 100 foreign tourists who arrive to Ukraine, visit Odessa. Tourism is the most rapidly growing industry in Odessa.
-Population of Odessa has 1.5 times greater than average in Ukraine income rate and one of the lowest rates of unemployment.
-Every year Odessites buy 25 - 30% more goods than they did previous year.
-There are more than 500 businesses in Odessa which have foreign investments. Most of them belong to the former immigrants, who came back to Odessa.
-Odessa attracts foreign investors. You will meet here business people from Israel, Russia, Turkey, Chine, Greece, Netherlands. During last four years sum of investments in Odessa region was increased by 220%.
-The Seventh-Kilometer flea and wholesale market is the largest in Ukraine. The market covers 0.69 square kilometers, has about 6,000 traders, and 150,000 customers per day. Its daily sales, according to the Ukrainian media estimation, were about USD 20 millions in 2004. The SIGHTS OF ODESSA CITY
Odessa is rich on many interesting places with magnificent architecture and which have big historical importance and of course which are worth to bee seen by the tourists who come to Odessa in hope to open the secret of its wonderful city!

One of such places in Odessa is well-known Potemkinskaya Stairs, which has 192 steps and the citizens of Odessa have the legend that if you want to receive enormous luck in your life, you should go down and up the Stairs by your feet, all 192 steps, discovering how the air and landscape changes when you come closer to the sea or go away from it, to the city.
All major attractions are concentrated in the center of Odessa city, and we will start our online journey via Odessa from the Greek square. After a total renovation in 2005, the square became more beautiful and comfortable. Here were opened the two fountains and put benches.
A decoration of the square is still a 4-storey shopping center "Athena", which is one of the largest in the city. You can not just go via the variety of boutiques, but have a very tasty and inexpensive lunch in the restaurant complex in Tavriya.

Moving further from the Greek square we get to the Preobrazhenskaya street. Here we see the largest orthodox church in Odessa - the Savior Transfiguration Cathedral. It was founded in 1794, It has the tragical history. The most significant tragedy of which was the complete looting and destruction in 1936.

The heart of Odessa is the world-famous Deribassovskaya street. It was named by the first Mayor of Odessa - Joseph de Ribas, who developed the plan for the establishment of the city and participated in its construction. The street is small in length and wide. It has no running to the sea, but nevertheless, there is something special and charming. Deribasovsaya is the legendary street. It is calm and beautiful. It fascinates you with its charming simplicity. You can easily fall in love with it.

At the end of the Deribasovskaya street we get to the Lanjeronovskaya street. We view the other architectural masterpiece - the Odessa Opera House. The building is executed in the style of the Viennese "baroque." The facade of the theater is decorated with various sculptures of the heroes of Greek mythology. The busts of creators of Russian Literature and Art are here.

Primorskij Boulevard is one of the main streets of Odessa and the favourite walking place equally with Deribasovskaya street. Here is situated the monument of Duke de Richelieu, gun of frigate "Tiger", City Hall, monument of Pushkin, Vorontsov Palace and the Potemkin Stairs which were mentioned before.
Primorsky Boulevard was built in the XIX century and was formerly known as the Nikolaev Boulevard. Boulevard is one of the best urban ensembles in Europe. This is one of the favorite places for walking of Odessa citizens and visitors. From the Boulevard there is an incredible view of the sea and the sea port.

Several years ago there appeared the dome with archaeological finds of the ancient period on the boulevard. Also near the Potemkin Stairs there was restored the funicular, and there appeared garlands on the trees, which make the boulevard more beautiful at night.

Located in Odessaon the Primorsky Boulevard, is a bronze statue of a full-length dedicated to Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu, who made a solid contribution to the development of the city. The monument is directed to the sea, in front of it there are Potemkin Stairs, behind - the two buildings forming a square.
Richelieu became governor of Odessa in 1803, and residents of the city called him "our Duke", considering him the founder of the city that really was far from the truth, because at that time Odessa was 8 years old. Thank to this governor the city had become a major trading port.
Monument "The Gun on Primorsky Boulevard" is dedicated to the successful repelling of an attack onOdessa during the Crimean War. The grand opening of the monument took place in 1904.

Vorontsov Palace, located in Odessa on the Primorsky Boulevard, is the monument of architecture of the early XIX century. It was built on the edge of the seaside hill, on the place of the former Turkish fortress Hadzhibey in 1827 by architect F.K. Baffo in the Empire style.

Vorontsov Palace is located on the edge of the earth cliff. The ornament and decoration of the palace are not worse than of the palaces of Italy at that time. Just after the construction the building was surrounded with the garden and greenhouses.

Churches and Cathedrals in Odessa

Church of Vladimir Icon was built and consecrated on September 8, 1996.
The temple is located in a densely populated residential area, and every day of her learned more and more people and the number of parishioners throughout the entire time growing. Later was involved intensive outreach and near the temple was built Sunday school for adults and children with total area of 220 sq.. meters. Divine Worship in Church of Vladimir Icon are committed daily.

Odessa Svyato-Iverskiy monastery
History of Svyato-Iverskiy monastery dates back to 1998. This year's meeting, the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was asked about opening a new monastery in honor of Panteleimon Church in Odessa. In the same year on Oct. 23 was elevated to the first dome.

In 1884, as the Russian Compound Mount Athos Elias Skete, was founded by Svyato-Ilinskiy monastery.
Foundation stone of the monastery was made Nov. 10, 1894 Archimandrite Gabriel. And already in 1896 the construction of five-domed church was completed.
Odessa Diocesan Administration in 1997, is located at the monastery. In the church opened a Sunday school for children and adults.

The Synod allowed to build its courtyard by the 100th anniversary of Odessa, the foundation of the cathedral was laid on May 9, 1893, and as soon as on January 10, 1896 the courtyard was consecrated. The project's author is the architect N. Nikonov. The church on the third floor symbolized the holy Aphon mountain - there had been nothing of the kind in all Russian land. "Gold icon stands" made by the master Akhapnin struck imagination with their grandeur. Mural painting in Byzantine style was entrusted to Odessa masters.

After taking an excursion you can easily find rest near the sea. On the coast of Odessa you can find such beaches as: Luzanovka, Lanzheron, The Joy, The Dolphin, the group of beaches of Big Fountain, Chernomorka and others. You also can visit very famous beach "the Gold Coast", it is a luxurious beach with soft white sand, small cafes where you can sit in the shadows of the tents, drinking cold ice beverages and watching the waves, playing around the berth. The increasing popularity is won with a new resort zone Carolina-Bugaz, Zatoka. In the summer about 100 bases of rest the Resort here operates to be in 60 kilometers on the South from Odessa.

There is one more place in Odessa that should be talked about. This is Odessa's little Las-Vegas with the name Arcadia!!!
Unique place in South-East Europe with many dance-clubs, discoteques, restaurants, cafes, hotels at the beach. Arcadia is one of the most popular recreation and resort districts of Odessa city. This territory hosts many sanatoriums, rest houses, hydropathic establishments, resort polyclinics, tourist camp, hotels and numerous restaurants, constellation of nightclubs and other places of entertaining working 24h/day in the holiday season.

Visiting the museums and theatres, walking the old Odessa streets, feeling the salted smell in the air, going from the Black Sea - everything this helps the tourists to understand the main sense of Odessa people mentality, history of their traditions, the way of their thoughts. For many visitors, Odessa becomes the second home, because this city is able to unite different cultures, different nationalities and different languages.