Sights

POTEMKIN STEPS
Formerly the Richelieu steps, the long stone stairway leading down to the harbor are the Potemkin Steps, down which Eisenstein's pram famously rolled. The occasion in the film was the massacre of a crowd responding to the plight of mutineers on the battleship Potemkin anchored in the bay. The steps were built from 1937-1841 by a French architect Boffo, workmg for the Due de Richelieu, the 1st city governor. From below you can see only steps -from above - only landings. Although they appear to be built on parallel lines, they are twice as wide at the bottom as at the top.
PRIMORSKY BOULEVARD
The Potemkin staircase leads to Primorsky Boulevard, a favorite promenade
with views over the sea. Primorski Boulevard is perhaps the most beautiful place in Odessa. The monument to Duke Armand de Richelieu and not so big semicircular square are the compositional centre of old Odessa designed by F. Devolan in 1794. There are three axis avenues with the focus at Primorsky Boulevard. On one side of the Boulevard there is the building of the former Palace of Duke Vorontsov, on the other there is the City Council building which used to house old stock exchange. In front of the building of the City Council there is a monument to the outstanding Russian poet Pushkin built by sculptor J. Polonskaya after the design of architect X. Vasiliev. It was opened in 1889. There is a cannon nearby which symbolizes the victory of Russian weapon over the Anglo-French squadron in 1854. The cannon was taken from the frigate "Tiger" which had run aground on the shores ot Odessa.
Highlights of the boulevard are as follows:

RICHELIEU MONUMENT
The monument to Duke de Richelieu was built by the Petersburg sculptor Ivan Martos.The bronze statue was erected in 1828. Duke de Richelieu was appointed Mayor of the city in 1803, and in 180The bronze statue was erected in 1828. Duke de Richelieu was appointed Mayor of the city in 1803, and in 1805 he was appointed Governor-general of the Novorosiysk region. The growth of the navigation and trade, enlightenment and culture of Odessa are connected with his name. Potemkin staircase is the main exit to the sea. It was being built during five years and was finished in 1841(architect F. Boffo). :
PRINCE VORONTSOV'S PALACE
is to the right along Primorsky Boulevard. After its distraction in World War II, the mansion was built in a faithful reconstruction of the original classical -revival style( 1826-1827) by Boffo; it now houses Hobby Group & Arts Children Center.

PUBLIC GARDEN
The first trees in Odessa were planted by De Ribas brothers, Joseph and Felix, on the plot bought fy Felix in the Greek vorstadt. The first young plants were sent bu Count Pototsky from his famous Sofievskiy Garden. In 1803 the planting of the garden was completed and after it was given the name “Public” (not private), it became a place for a walk of the elite society. Being delighted with brilliant activity of Duke de Richelieu on the development of the city Felix De Ribas decided to support the Duke ad to present the city with his garden. The garden is beautiful with its fountain and sculptures of a lion and lioness executed by sculptor Sine.

ODESSA OPERA & BALLET HOUSE
One of Europe's best, it was built in 1884-1887 by Viennese architects Felner and Gelmer, on the "classic-Baroque lines of Vienna Opera House and the Dresden Court Theater. Scenes from Shakespearean plays adorn the gilded auditorium ceiling; the acoustics are excellent and ballet or opera performances in this elegant setting are often brilliant entertainment.

ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Odessa Archaeological Museum, one of the oldest in Ukraine, was founded in 1825. There are more than 160.000 exhibits. They are the basis of one of the largest collection of information sources about ancient history of Northern Black Sea region. The museum possesses rich collection of archeological relics of primitive and classical culture, relics of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, besides there is a large and valuable collection of coins and medals. The best antique sculptures are exhibited in the vestibule of the building, specially built for the museum in 1883.
The genuine, unique pieces of art made of precious metals are represented in "The Golden Treasure". The oldest of them belong to the beginning of the second millennium B.C. The adornments and articles of Slavic craftsmen from the Scythian and Sarmatian burial grounds, the medieval funerals of nomads, attract your attention.
The collection of Egypt antiquities is the third most valuable in the former USSR. Wooden and stone sarcophagi, funeral inventory, stone slabs and fragments of papyrus with hieroglyphics are represented there.
ART MUSEUM
Collection of the domestic fine arts of the Odessa art museum is- one of the most significant and multilane in Ukraine. It covers all kinds of the fine arts: paintings, schedule, sculptures, arts and crafts also includes products of Russian and Ukrainian masters of icon art from the XVI century up to the present, totaling more than 10 thousand original works.
The museum was open in 1899 under the initiative of the Odessa society of fine arts. The beginning of museum assembly was put with the pictures transferred by the St. Petersburg Academy of arts.
The museum is located in the center of Odessa, above the sea, in a place being a monument of architecture of the beginning of XIX century and having artificial underground grotto, open for visiting.
The exposition of a museum is placed in 26 halls on two floors. She is constructed in historic-
chronological sequence with observance of a monographic principle of display of products of
each author.

Cathedral Square
On may 25, 1808 the construction of the Transfiguration Cathedral was completed (architect Frappolli). The Cathedral was small and cramped, so it was rebuilt several times. The significant work was last done from 1900 to 1903. The Cathedral was one of the most important monuments of the city history and culture: its domes were the main Odessa navigational marks for sailors, given in all pilots; Governor-general of Novorussia Count M. Vorontsov and his wife Elizaveta Vorontsova were buried here; many people's relics were kept in it.
Around the Cathedral the square was laid out where many people gathered on the occasion of both ecclesiastical and temporal events of any significance. In 1870-s a fountain was built on the square in honor of the Odessa water-pipe construction. The monument to M. Vorontsov is also here. In the 1930 –s the Cathedral was pulled down.

MUSICAL COMEDY THEATRE
This is one of the youngest theaters of Odessa. In 1954 it moved here from Lvov. The talented com-pany quickly won the sympathy of the audience. Odessites, who used go for M.Vodyanoy, still en-joy such talented actors as M.Demina, L.Satosova, Yu.Dynov, S.Krupnik and others. The theater's repertoire consists mainly of domestic and foreign classics.
In 1981 the theater received a new beautiful building of glass and concrete (architect — G.Topaz;

PHYLARMONIC
In 1895 the world competition for a conceptual design of a new Odessa stock-exchange was announced. The design of Viennese architect V.J. Prohaska was considered to be the best. But it didn't meet all the requirements, therefore it was improved by architect A. Bernardazzi. The construction was completed in 1899, and in 1900, the year of the 50-th anniversary of Bernardazzi's creative work, the bust of the architect, executed by sculptor fi. Eduards, was niched in the side wall of the loggia. The facades of the building face Pushkinskaya and Bunin streets. They are made in the style of Venetian Gothic and characterized by the harmony of proportions and bright colours. Carrara marble, many-coloured artificial stones, terra-cotta tiles were used to decorate the facades, and rare kinds of wood and paintings adorned the interior. Since 1924 the building has housed the Odessa state philarmonic.

A.V. Ivanov Russian Drama Theatre
The theatre was founded in 1927. The new company, consisting mostly of actors mostly of actors from Moscow and St. Petersburg, was allotted the largest of available theater premises in Odessa — the hall previously used as a skating-rink. This is the only remaining theater building of the 1870-s in Odessa. The Theater was built on the site of residential houses belonging to F.Rafalovich and A.Velikanov. The second floor of the theater was decorated by fountains of fresh water creating coolness. Unfortunately, these fountains no longer exist. In other aspects, the architectural appearance of the theater has been preserved. It is in this theater, that Odessa citizens could see such talented actors as Eleanor Duse, Sara Bernhardt, Ernst Possart, Ludvig Barnay, Benua Coquelin and others. The stage of the Russian Drama Theater witnessed the appearance of such masters as M.Astangov, D.Zerkalova, M.Zankovetskaya, M.Kropivnitskiy and others. It was in this hall that V.Mayakovskiy made his first appearance in Odessa 1914. Today, the repertoire of the theatre consists mainly of Russian and foreign classics Address: 48 Grecheskaya Street Odessa.

Ukrainian Music Drama Theatre
Each evening the lights go on at the entrance of a grand gray building on Pastera Street. The spa-cious three-circle hall is filled by spectators. Odessites and visitors of city know this building, erected in 1903, very well. Beginning from 1925, a pleiad of Ukrainian playwrights (I.Mikitenko, A.Korneichuk), directors (G.Yura, V.VasiIko) and actors (N.Uzhviy, S.Shimanskaya, etc.) worked here, in the reconstructed building of the former Sibiryakov theater. The repertoire of the theater is dominated by works of Ukrainian and Russian classics. Plays of modern foreign and Ukrainian authors are also staged here.

Museum of Western and Oriental Arts
The building which now houses the Museum of Western and Oriental Arts, is an interesting architectural landmark. It was erected in 1857 on design of architect L.C. Otton. Attention is attracted to the magnificent multi-flight staircase leading to the second floor, luxurious lobby, and halls of the second floor with patterned parquet floors, the exquisiteness of plafonds. The museum has three sections exhibiting paintings, sculptures, handicrafts and graphics. In the Antic Arts Section one can see Greek vases and terra-cotta statues, Roman glass articles, gyps models of the finest Antic sculptures. The Section of Western-European Paintings of the 14th-19th centuries displays works of outstanding artists from Italy, Holland England, USA and other countries. Decorative handicrafts, paintings and graphics of oriental countries are represented by works of artists from India, Iran, Japan, Tibet of tne 17th-19th centuries. The museum possesses paintings of American artist Rockwell Kate, French Artist Susanna Sovari, block-prints of Japanese engraver Toekuni, which were presented to it as gifts.