Odessa Gallery
A Diamong-In-The-Rough
Odessa is the 5th largest city in Ukraine and the most important city of trade. Odessa is the largest city along the entire Black Sea. Many years ago, Odessa was once the 3rd leading city in old Russia, after Moscow and St. Petersburg. Odessa looks more like a city located on the Mediterranean, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Odessa has always had a spirit of freedom, probably endowed to her by her location and by her ability to accept many different peoples.
Modern Odessa is a city rebuilding itself, and her downtown is slowly being revitalized. Odessa is well-known as the capital of humor, probably due to the great variety of people and her southern location on the Black Sea. Today, Odessa is referred to as the «Pearl of the Black Sea», «Odessa Mama», «Southern Palmira» and «Little Paris» by many.
Being the southern gate of the state and the most important Ukrainian sea port, Odessa is also well-known for its rich history, beautiful buildings, inexhaustible humor, and optimistic approach to life. Founded at the end of the 18th century, it has grown into a cosmopolitan city where people from more than 100 nationalities live. Since many world-famous musicians, writers and artists lived and worked here, not every city has as rich cultural biography as Odessa does. The mixture of rich architecture, warm hospitality, and beautiful nature is the secret of Odessa’s popularity, and success as one of the leading Ukrainian resorts.
World-famous Potemkin Stairs, beautiful Opera House, picturesque Primorsky Boulevard, busy Deribasovskaya Street are making the image of Odessa unforgettable.
Odessa — legendary city of romance, art, humor, poems, theaters and museums. Odessa is a very special city — city with its own very special culture. It is the most beautiful cities in Ukraine and all of Europe. The city itself is full of historical, architectural, cultural and scientific interest, proud of its past and its traditions. With a reputation for big city adventure, sunshine, laughter and sophistication, the locals have always considered themselves Odessites first, and Russians, Soviets or Ukrainians second.
What is it that makes Odessa so specific? Some say the answer lies in the city's celebrated cosmopolitan mix of nationalities, which has historically seen large Jewish, Greek, Russian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian populations mixing freely with any number of sailors and visitors from around the world. Fashions and foreign goods have always been more plentiful in Odessa than elsewhere in the Slavic world, and this has helped foster something of an «Odessite» identity among locals. In the nineteenth century while the rest of the Russian Empire trundled on under a backward and oppressive administration Odessa always played the role of colorful window on the world, and the city has maintained an air of freedom about it to this day.
Every year Odessa is made a more pleasant and attractive place to live in, visit and enjoy! So, this is what it is like, the city of Odessa, a pearl of the sea… Welcome to Odessa! Your visit is sure become an experience to remember.
