Architecture of Odess

[Wolfdog]

Architecture of Odessa

I feel I want to tell about my city and it's heritage.
( I doubt Odessa is well known outside Ukraine nowadays )

But during the XIXth century Odessa was among the largest seaports in the lands of East Europe.

Most of architecture here was
owned and built by Greeks, Germans, Italians and French persons (aristocracy as well as businesspeople...)...
These people were bringing their tastes and views into one point .

So here is amazing combination of styles ( Art Nouveau, Classicism, Baroque revival, Gothic revival, Moorish revival, Gothic-Moorish, Gothic-Baroque etc.)

Unfortunately, many building are dying year-to-year.
Local businesspeople usually don't want to invest their money to save 19th century culture.
Typical mentality here = "Old building = bad building. Let's destroy it and build something new!".
Sometimes I feel that many people in my city hate high culture of Bell Epoque, because of inferiority complexes = "These building were built by aliens from Western Europe while my ancestors were living in huts"

Even tourists from the modern West usually are coming here for cheap sexual contacts (Odessa is well known as the hub of international sex-tourism )

So, there is lack of Odessa's pics on internet.

That's why I have started systemized photographing...

[Wolfdog]

First step of my journey = part of the city's center with the best preserved historical buildings.
Using topography and logics
I have divided this as A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H etc. zones.


A. Catherine's square
It is the "start point" of modern Odessa.
First houses were built here in 1796 ,
but overall
architectural ensemble here was formed duringe middle-late XIX century.
And this ensemble is still fully beautiful and alive!

View from the Potyomkin stairs and Richeleu's monument :
Technically, this is the very short street (and oldest street in Odessa),
but formally it is the part of the Catherine's square.

Also this point divides Primorsky boulevard as 2 equal parts = NorthWest half ( right building and further ) and SouthEast half ( left building and further )




View from the Sabaneev bridge :





Here starts Catherine's street :






Baroque revival on the north side of Catherine's square :



Almost all of these buildings are owned by rich foreigners and local administrative/governmental structures.
That is why building here are still alive and wonderful.

Also, here is Sabaneev bridge (I have shown kind view from this construction few pics ago)
Red building = musical school
White Moorish revival style building = modern condominium (early 2000s)
Oldest road to the port is under the bridge

[Wolfdog]

...

[Wolfdog]

B. Former Khadjibey fortress ( Hacibey ) area
is the oldest inhabited zone in Odessa.
There were 2 Greek colonies during the Antiquity, Genovan colony, Lithuanian castle, Turkish fortress and Turkish town...

This zone is the "triangle" = NorthWest half of Primorsky boulevard + Vorontsov lane + Vorontsov's palace


Vorontsov lane starts here ( between yellow building and building with the dome )



During the first years of XIXth centry it was just the road connecting Catherine's square and the ruines of Khadjibey fortress.
Most of these houses were built during 1820s


Going to the Vorontsov castle :




Looking back and watching how curved is this :




Notice the previous pic.
Houses here were built of imported Italian stones.
While typical historic building in Odess was built of so-called "rakushnyak" = local bad quality cheap limestone : (
So it is a reason why these houses look still good = because of high quality stones...

Vorontsov's palace :
looks very bad but local authorities say that it will be saved



* some historians tend to think that the place of this palace = zone of former Khadjibey fortress

But most of modern scientists are gathering proofs that Turkish fortress was situated here
in the NorthWest half of Primorsky boulevard :



Some of these mansions still keep the style of 1820s era classicism and some other are modified with later styles and structures

[Wolfdog]

C. SouthEast half of Primorsky boulevard + Dumskaya square
= richest part of Odessa during the middle of XIXth century





Cityhall of Odessa :



In the middle of XIX century it was the stock-exchange, so that is why you will find here so many rich monumental buildings from this epoch.


View from Dumskaya :



Red building = former English club and Seafleet's museum.
Building with the great baroque dome = Odessa Opera theater.
Area between both building = Theatre square


Nowadays some buildings around are just ruines with unobvious perspectives.
I don't want to show this, because don't really like the situation : /
But "C" zone it still one of the best preserved places.

[Wolfdog]

D. Langeron street

It is a very important street where 90%+ of historical buildings and still alive.

But I don't have too many pics, because...
...Langeron street is too narrow for good points of view
...Langeron street is too automobilized and dangerous for pedestrians
...Langeron streets is the only street in the center of Odessa almost without trees.
So, some Russian tourists say that Langeron street looks "very Moscow-like".


View from the Odessa Opera Theater :




Great example of the mixed Gothic + Moorish style
* corner Langeron street L Catherine's street

[Wolfdog]

E. De Ribas street
Very mosaic-like street...
Eastern half = more preserved and authentic
Western half = mix of preRevolution buildings, Stalinist empire buildings, various "khruschyovkas", functionalism style buildings and post-modern styleless shops...
Overall, more than 2/3 of historical buildings here are alive and quite good looking.


Newly restored buildng in the East end of De Ribas




Stone facade building in the lane connecting the East end of the De Ribas street and Greek street





Corner De Ribas street L Pushkin street
* very authentic place






Houses between Pushkin street and Richeleu street





Further west = house between Catherine's street and Red lane




Greatest example of the Art Nouveau
"Great Moscow" hotel :

* this building was reconstructed in early 2010s and looks even more wonderful comparing to historical photographies
Owner has added beautiful mansard with dome-like baroque roof




Details in the high resolution :

https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/maxi...6_original.jpg


West end of the De Ribas street :
Sobornaya square also known as "Soborka"
Pink building on the left = trading "Passage"
Tower of dome = Orthodox cathedral = newly (early 2000s) built copy of historical building
Pink building with the wide facade = good example of the middle-late XIXth century tenement.
Green building on the right = "Russov's house" = tenement representing Baroque revival style




Pink tenement from the front :




"Russov's house" from the front :
Baroque revival style...
It was fully restored and reconstructed (2019 year).
It's the nice precedent, because few years this building was almost fully ruined...

[Wolfdog]

Primorsky boulevard (called "B" few posts ago)
ends (and starts) here, near the Porto Franco Colonnade :




Here is a deep ravine which was used as the oldest road to port.
This road ("Voenny spusk") cutted these quarters like a knife.
But in 1967 there was built "Tyoschin bridge" ("Mother-in-law bridge"), this bridge united Primorsky Boulevard and Boulevard of Arts.

Bridge and colonnade from other side of ravine :




Shah's palace here = one more great example of Gothic+Moorish mixed style :





Odessa bay view from the point of Shah's palace :




Notice :
Shah's palace is the start point of the Gogol street.
All buildings there are historical, and almost all buildings are under restoration/reconstruction during few last years.
If it will be successfully completed (I hope it will happened!), here we will have the greatest precedent of architectural revival in Odessa.
Sure, budget of these restorations was cutted by COViD quarantine : (


View from the Tyoschin bridge ("Mother-in-law" bride) :

Words in the black circle =
"Love.
Don't fear.
Don't beg."

* striped houses stay between the ravine and the Gogol street. They are under restoration/reconstruction...

[Wolfdog]

West half of the Greek street ("Grecheskaya ulitsa") where it corners Sobornaya square :
(is quite closely related to the West end of the De Ribas street)

* many other buildings are more beautiful comparing to these but I feel something very warm and nostalgious when I am watching this corner

[KirillMazur]

I have been to Odessa many times, and in my opinion this city is definitely in the top 5 in the former USSR in terms of scenic beauty.
As a Crimean and a former citizen of Ukraine, I served in the army in the Belyaevsky district of the Odessa region (2008-2009).
I think my native Sevastopol would look about the same now, if it were not destroyed twice.