PALACES OF ODESSA

Southern Palmira, Black Sea Babylon, Small Paris, the Capital of the South - these are only some epithets lavished on Odessa. And they are quite reasonable. The city didn't exist yet, but visitors watching the installation of the first port piles already predicted it brilliant future as if they foresaw the birth of the "golden city".

The favorite city of Catherine the Great, Odessa, was being built by the projects of the best European architects. The most expensive and the highest quality materials were delivered to Odessa by sea. Architects from all parts of Europe brought to life their dreams in the projects of building up of the city. That is why there is a great number of unique palaces, each of which has its own history no less interesting than the history of lives of their authors.

One of the most interesting palaces of Odessa is the Palace of the general - Field-Marshal of Russian Empire, Governor of Novorosiyskiy krai, Michael Semenovich Vorontsov (vision from outside). The building was built on a high rock on the place of the Turkish fortress Yeni Dunya, in the style of Italian Renaissance by the project of Boffo. Not very big the palace attracts the sights with easiness of the facades performance. Inside artistic decorating of the palace should be mentioned as well - there is a number of picturesque plafonds and vivid pictures on the walls. Essential part of the palace is the colonnade built on the high stepped socle on the very edge of the precipice. Ten pairs of the columns make a slight arc, which is very spectacular from the sea. The place was chosen so good that the colonnade can be easily seen from different parts of the city and the sea.

Not far from the Vorontsov palace there is The Shah Palace (vision from outside). Erected over a steep precipice it was very good designed as a middle age British castle: unassailable looking towers, lancet arches. In the year 1794 under the direction of F. P. Devolan building of the new military hospital was started. However half-done building was demolished in 1800. But enviable building yard over the sea excited the minds of Odessa architects. In the second half of the 19th century very talented architect F.V. Gonsiorovskiy built on this place the palace of the polish magnate Brzhozovskiy. His plastic figures repeat the examples of early English Gothic. The name "Shah Palace" and its special eastern colouring the palace gained in 1909; it is connected with half legendary settling in Odessa of disgraced Persian Shah Mohammed Ali. Nowadays the main office of one of the leading banks of southern Ukraine is situated in the renovated building of the Shah Palace. The excursion through the palaces of Odessa goes on through one more creation of the architect Boffo - Tolstoys' Palace. Its architectural ensemble is represented by the building of the count's manor itself and the building of picture gallery.

The count's manor is a two storey villa consisting of 12 rooms. It was built in 1832 by N. A. Horvat on the project of the architect Boffo in the style of Russian classicism. In the 70-s there lived a hereditary nobleman, count M. M. Tolstoy. The interiors of the palace as well as its facades are made in the style of classicism. In 1896-1897 a picture gallery was built on the project of Vienna architects F. Felner and G. Gelmer. The picture gallery is a 2 storey building with facades of Baroque taste e with rich decorating of stucco mouldings. From the year 1934 there is The House of the scientists. Now in the House there are 30 scientific societies, sections, service clubs. The international congresses, conferences, symposiums on various items of scientific activity take place here.

The next palace, which we are to visit - is Novikov's palace. Its building was constructed in 1876, it was designed by well-known Odessa architect F. Gonsiorovskiy for one of the biggest representatives of industrial-commercial elite of that time - Alexander Yakovlevich Novikov, grandson of the first guild merchant Elias Novikov, who was the owner of the rope factory which was founded in 1806. The palace fitted in the general planning of the street and impartially ranks among those works of architecture, which make unique image of Odessa. Now there is Odessa local Lore and History museum.

Gagarin's Palace.

The building was constructed in the middle of the 19th century. The palace belonged to the representative of the highest circles of Russian aristocracy, one of the first citizens of Odessa Duke Dmitriy Ivanovich Gagarin and his wife Sofia Petrovna. In the second half of the century Gagarin's family passed the palace to the city.

The building is situated in the historical part of the city. The architect Ludvig Otton, the author of the project placed it over a steep ravine, facing its facade to the East - the sea. Its high socle, arched windows, three bay windows resembling towers impart this facade similarity with a castle. The interiors of the Palace amaze with their unusual combinations of styles - classicism, baroque, empire - which was typical for the South of Russian Empire of the middle of the 19th century and was called as "free south eclecticism". The main golden hall combines elements of empire and baroque. It is illuminated by the bay window with five arched windows that let in a lot of sunlight and fresh air. The building was created for the Duke's family not as a profitable house, but as a place for free idleness, entertainment and emotional pleasures. There is a legend which tells that the great Hungarian composer and pianist gave a concert here.

The excursion comes to its end with the visit to Naryshkin's Palace - a vivid example of realization of classical architectural traditions of that time. The building is situated in the yard and is detached from the street by the iron fence. The building was being constructed in 1824-1828. The first owner was the younger daughter of the count Pototskiy - Olga Stanislavovna, who married count L. A. Naryshkin. The architect Boffo took an active part in the building of the palace. The central part of the composition is a two storey building with 6 columned portico of Corinthian order and a pediment with an image of the arms. The central building is adjoined by single-storey galleries.

The characteristic feature of the building - is a big number of decorative arched elements in exterior and interior. The palace was built from shell rock which was quarried right from the place where the house was built. Hence there are several void cellars and galleries, in one of them there was made an underground grotto. Now there is situated Art Museum.