Odessa is the third largest Ukrainian city after Kiev and Kharkov, a major industrial, cultural, scientific, and resort center in the Northern Black Sea region. Territory is 160 square km. Population is 1.122.000. Odessa is cosmopolitan city where live people from more than 200 nationalities. Russians, Ukrainians, and Jews predominate in Odessa's cosmopolitan population.Moderately continental and comparatively dry climate with a short mild winter and long hot summer (more than 290 sunny days in the year) make Odessa the largest resort on the coast of The Black Sea.

Winter is short and mild with an average temperature of around freezing point. Falling snow and temperatures below minus 5 Celsius are rare. Summer is long and hot with an average temperature of 25 Celsius. Temperatures above 35 Celsius are quite often. A mild climate, plenty of beaches, and the Black Sea attract thousands of tourists to Odessa throughout the year, earning it the title of "Southern Palmira." Odessa is the southern gate of the state and the most important Ukrainian Sea port. Odessa is also well known for its rich history, beautiful buildings, and inexhaustible humor. Sights of Odessa Ukraine

Monument to Duke de Richelieu . French nobleman, soldier, and statesman who, as premier of France (1815-18 and 1820-21), obtained the withdrawal of the Allied occupation army from France. Earlier, he had served Russia as governor of Odessa and was notable for his progressive administration there.

The Potemkin Steps are a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the sea. Sure, each city has its own place of mostly pronounced originality. For Odessa, no doubt, it will be Potemkin Stairs. The stairs leading from Prymorsky Boulevard down to the sea were constructed from 1837 through 1841 to the design of the architect F. Bofford. This imposing monument numbers 192 stairs arranged in ten flights and flanked by two-meters thick parapets.

Monument to Don Josef de RibasIn the war of 1787-91, Don Josef de Ribas, a soldier of fortune born in Naples of Spanish and Irish stock and one of many adventures in Catherine's service, stormed the fortress of Yeny-Dunai at Khadzhibei. Catherine the Great apparently considered making the port of Ochakov, near the mouth of the Boh river, the effective capital of Novorossiya. But Ochakov lacked a good natural harbour. On the other hand, de Ribas and a close collaborator, a Dutch engineer named Franz de Volan, recommended Khadzhibei as the site of the region's principal port. Its harbour was deep and nearly ice-free. Breakwaters, on the model of those found at Naples, Livorno and Ancona, could be cheaply constructed and would render the harbour safe even for large fleets

Primorskiy Boulevard Because of the numerous magnificent buildings, the Primorsky boulevard is in Odessa kicks it the more beautiful and extensively forbidden to the automotive circulation.

Monument to Pushkin A granite pedestal executed according to the plan drawn up by the architect Kh. Vasilyev, is given the form of a truncated pyramid Kh. Vasilyev, is given the form of a truncated pyramid Kh. Vasilyev, is given the form of a truncated pyramid edges. Water jetting from the fishes' mouths flows down into the shell-shaped bowis of iron placed on the granite stylobate.

Monument to Vorontsov A bronze statue of M.S. Vorontsov stands on a high pedestal of Crimean diorite in the Soviet Army Square. This monument to the governor-general of the Novorossiysk Territory was erected in 1863. Authors of monument are sculptor F. Brugger from Munich and architect F. Boffod from Odessa. At the Primorskij Boulevard's west end note the (pre-revolutionary) governor's palace, which incidentally was heavily damaged in 1854 when the British and French bombarded it. Count Vorontsov built a Grecian colonnade which overlooks the harbor and also provides a fine view of the bay.

Colonnade of the Vorontsov palaceAt the Primorskiy Boulevard's west end note the (pre-revolutionary) governor's palace, which incidentally was heavily damaged in 1854 when the British and French bombarded it. Count Vorontsov built a Grecian colonnade which overlooks the harbor and also provides a fine view of the bay.

Odessa Opera and Ballet theatreis entitled to be called the elder among a great number of cultural institutions. Odessa strived for the right of building the theatre in 1804, and in 1809 it was already built. On the10th of February 1810 the first perfomance took place - the Russian troupe by Fortunatov staged a one -act opera by Fralih "A New Family" and a vaudeville "A Consolating Widow". But, unfortunately, in 1873 an old building was burnt. The restoration was our of the question. It was a tragedy, which was relented by one circum-stance - nobody suffered from it. It was suggested to draw up a draft of a new city theatre to Vienna archtects F. Felner Y. Helmer. Eleven years have passed since laying of the first brick into the foundation of the new theatre building. And the theatre opening took place on the 1st of October 1887. The building of Odessa Opera and Ballet House was fulfilled in the style of Vienna "baroque",which was the main in the European art from the end of the XVIth up to the middle of the XVIIIth century. Other Odessa Theatres

Odessa city hallSituated on the Primorskiy Boulevard the building which houses the City Hall nowadays is the place of the former old Stock Exchange in Odessa. Trading has always been the main source of Odessa budget income, so it is only natural that the Stock Exchange building occupied the foreground of the city and was further converted into the City Council and Major place.

Sea Port of Odessa On May 27, 1794 Empress Catherine || signed a rescript in which she ordered to start the creation of a seaport town on the site of Hajibey. On August 22, 1794 the first stones were laid down in the foundations of two temples and the landmark was fixed for city building. It was this event that became the birtday of the new town. The city was granted a coat -of- arms with the inscription in Russian, Greek, Italian and German.

Odessa Catacombs Odessa is located on land that millions of years ago was covered by the Black Sea. Shells of mollusks combined and formed light yellow shell rock. Examining any of this rock, a person can see that it is composed of millions of shells. Sandstone was both the foundation for the city and a primary building material. Easy to dig through, the sandstone allowed for the construction an estimated 2,000 kilometers of labyrinths stretching out under the city. Nearly the entire older section of Odessa is built with this stone.

Odessa museums

Odessa Archeological Museum was the first museum founded in the city and is one of the oldest in CIS. There are more then 160,000 exhibits providing excellent illustration of North Black Sea coast - from the first appearance of man up to the emergence of the ancient Russian state, Kievan Rus. Museum displays ancient artifacts - collection of priceless ornaments and jewelry from the 5th to the 1st centuries B.C. and coins dating from the 6th century B.C. The excavation of Olbia, Khersonesus, Panticapea, Tyras and other ancient Greek colonies on the Black Sea has mainly contributed these outstanding collections.

Fine Arts Museum. The Museum has an amazing collection of icons from the 14th -15th century and 18th-19th century paintings - Aivazovsky, Repin, Vrubel, Serov, Savrasov and Kramskoy. Early 20th century paintings are represented as well, including works of Rorich, Benz, Somov, Serebriakova, Kandinski. The building of the museum used to be the palace of Count Pototsky and was raised in 1805. Exquisitely ornamented halls with painted ceilings, beautiful parquet floors, made of rare kinds of wood and fine marble mantelpieces lend an elegant atmosphere to high class painting collections.

Museum of Literature. Used to be the residence of Count Gagarin. The building is completely restored and is really beautiful. The museum collection amounts to 40,000 exhibits. It represents the works of Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Jewish, Bulgarian, etc. writers and illustrates their links with Odessa. The list includes about 300 names. If you study literature this museum will be of a great interest.

Naval Museum The building of Naval Museum was originally the English Club raised in 1842. The museum has a vast collection, which traces the history of local shipbuilding and navigation from ancient times to present days. The exhibits include automatic models, diagrams, and instruments, which are inherent to ship's bridges and radio cabins. There is an imitation of a ship's sway, the sound of waves.

Western and Oriental Arts Museum. One of the best in Ukraine. The museum was founded in 1924 on the basis of private collections in the premises of a wealthy Odessa merchant. The museum has awesome collection of European masterpieces and antiquities from Italy, Holland, France and Flounders. The collection includes replicas of antique sculpture, Ancient Greek ceramics and Roman glassware. The oriental art is represented by the works from China, Japan, India, Mongolia and Tibet. The interior is richly decorated: molded ceilings and parquet floors made of valuable species of wood.

Deribasovskaya StreetDeribasovskaya Street Isnamed after Don Josef de Ribas. This street is the very heart of Odessa. What lends Deribasovskaya its unique character is magnificent architecture; crowds of people leisurely sitting on terraces of numerous cafes and restaurants, perfect cobblestones, no vehicle traffic and big shady linden trees.

Beaches of Odessa. Odessa's beach, which actually is made up of several beaches running some 40 km or more, possesses a sea wall and small-scale eating and drinking establishments. During the summer, particularly the Lanzheron, Otrada, Delfin, Luzanovka, Fontan, Arkadia beaches are wall-to-wall people, but solitude seekers can find quiet by walking farther. The cable car ride at the beaches is fun. Besides sunbathing and swimming, you can rent paddle boats or rowboats. Arkadia beach is the largest and most developed. Arkadia and Luzanovka beaches are famous by large quantity of night clubs for any taste and pocket.

Odessa Cathedrals and Monasteries. There were about 70 churches before the revolution in Odessa. History of each church is indissolubly connected with the history of the city. For Soviet period lots of churches were closed, destroyed, reoriented in warehouses and fitness - centers and on many years ago, people in Odessa didn't even imagined, that pious, orthodox citizens prayed about health for their relatives and about well-being and prosperity of whole city in these city's buildings. Nowadays many of temples are being reconstructed and opened in Odessa and you might be witness of a revival and an inauguration of these temples.