This walk takes around one hours and starts at the Odesa Train station. You can go to the city center directly by the Pushkinska street but this tour covers a slightly greater distance, around 2.2 km.

UNUSUAL ODESA – This tour for those who have not been to Odesa, but want to know it. For those who want to hear Odessa legends. For people who love street art.

Where was the German colony in Odessa, why you could't find a Jewish quarter in Odessa, and what did the monks from Mount Athos do in Odessa? You can find out about this by walking this route with our guide, for request please contact, or use the tips below.

We will finish the tour in the city center, right on the Deribasovska Street, the main touristic street of Odesa and you can continue sightseeing or go to the lunch.

So, you can click on our map below and download it or print it before you start. Let’s go!

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the Railway Station in Odessa was built in 1883 on the old border of Porto Franco, the border of the city free zone. Therefore, the train station was built here.

The first station was built by the architect A. Bernardaci according to the project of an architect V. Schreter. The new station was built in 1950 on the site of the one destroyed by the 2-world war, and almost repeated its architecture details.

If we stand with our backs to the station building, to our right is the building of 1894-98 architect Tolvinsky).

To our left is the beautiful building of the Judicial Regulations (1893-98), now the General Directorate of the Railway.

The domes of the beautiful Cathedrals the same as the beautiful buildings end-of 19century complete the beautiful picture of the station square.

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St. Illya's Monastery and the Church of the Mother of God were built in the Byzantine style in 19th century. Also popular the products of the Monastery's own production just here, at the church shop - cheese, bread, honey.

The main purpose of the construction of the monastery at the end of 19th Century was to help pilgrims going to Mount Athos by ships from Odesa.

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46, Mala Arnautska street. There is a big mural of the actress of the old silent films. Her name was Vera Kholodnaya and she was movie star early 20th Century.

The mural is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Odesa Film Studio. The Odesa film studio is the oldest film studio at the area of former USSR.

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In the deep courtyard of house number 46, just on the corner, you can see an old building made of yellow shell stone.

The old synagogue was built in 1909 by the famous Odessa architect Semyon Landesman for one of the oldest professional associations of the city - the Society of Kosher Meat Cutters.

At the end of the 1920s, the authorities of the victorious proletariat confiscated the synagogue and opened a parachuting school. After the Second World War, the KGB settled in the former prayer house.

It was returned as the Migdal Jewish Cultural Center in 1992.

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From Mala Arnautskaya we turn to Osipova Street. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was a street of German colonists - artisans. But already in the second half of the 19th century, more Jewish families lived on the street.

In front of us you can find an old compensator booth painted on different sides of it. It shown the Monument, the Distance Indicator, the "Angel" - these are all of Odessa iconic places.

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Point of urban art. At the intersection with Big Arnautskaya Street, on the corner of the new house, on the railing, we can find a sculpture of an office cat. The prototype is a really local pet, the cat Ginger.

Sculptor Tatyana Shtykalo has already created and placed two dozen cats around the city, and in total there are more than 30 images and sculptures of cats in the city.

Next point of urban art is just opposite the street. London's Red Phone Booth and Mailbox. In fact, a painted telecommunications box.

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At the house number 30 there is a memorial marker, it was here because of the first mayor of Tel Aviv (the capital city of Israel) lived here from 1897 to 1905.

Meir Dizengoff was a director of a glass-blowing factory, with the move to Palestine the first mayor of the city of Tel Aviv and the permanent mayor of this city until 1936.

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at the corner with Bazarna Street, we see a one-storey mansion in which the Romanian Consulate is stayed. Right on the corner is a bust of the famous Romanian poet Eminescu.

Behind the consulate on the wall there is a large mural - this is Vladimir Zeev Jabotinsky. It said about him – Odesa resident, who changed the history of the Jewish people.

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On the facades of the houses number 22-24 there is an interesting graffiti on the wall. You can guess the embankment of Jaffa - Tel Aviv and the quarters of Jerusalem...

Opposite the street the number 21. On this palce was Malbish Arumim - Jewish Tailors' Prayer House since 1820. This building of 1867 (1893?), architect Morandi. In the Soviet time, after 1920, the synagogue was closed, and the society was liquidated. The synagogue building was given over to warehouses.

In 1992, the building was returned to the Jewish community. There is one of the two synagogues operating in the city - Beit Habat.

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House at number 6. There is a commemorative bas-relief about the history of the jeweler and his golden tiara of the "Scythian king". The sale of this crown to the Louvre Museum, disguised as an ancient Scythian crown, has been called the main scam of the 19th century!

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At the intersection on the right, we see a bridge. In 1822-1824, according to the project of the famous Odessa engineer Just Haüy, at the intersection of the street and the Karantinnaya gully, the Novikov Bridge was built (named after the owner of the Odessa rope factory, merchant Novikov). The bridge is also the oldest stone bridge in Odessa.

And we turn left, to Zhukovsky Street. One of the oldest streets in the city. The street received its modern name in 1902 on the 50th anniversary of the death of the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky. Thus, it is one of the few streets in the city that has not changed its name in 20th Century.

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The large gray building in the Gothic style on the corner of Zhukovsky and Pushkinskaya streets.

A prayer house on this site existed from the first years of the city. Jews from the city of Brody moved to Odessa, and paid for the construction of a synagogue.

A beautiful building in the Gothic style was built in 1863, and was in fact the largest synagogue in the south of the Russian Empire. Being the center of "educated Jews", concerts and even evenings of organ music were organized here.

Isaac Babel in his "Odessa Stories" also mentions this synagogue.

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Odessa Philharmonic theatre.

Initially, the building was built as the New Merchants' Exchange in 1899. By the end of the 19th century, Odessa was one of the largest trading cities of the Empire. The new stock exchange was the embodiment of the city's commercial prosperity. A beautiful building, both outside and inside.

Thus, the ceiling of the hall is assembled without a single nail from expensive Lebanese cedar and covered with gilding.

At the Soviet time, the stock exchange was closed, and the Philharmonic moved to this building in 1946.

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Hotel Bristol. It was built in 1899 by architect. A. Bernardatsi. Style - Baroque. The first 4-storey hotel in the city.

In Soviet times, the Krasnaya Hotel. At the beginning of the 21st century, during the reconstruction, the old name and furniture of the Italian company Angelo Cappellini were returned, as it was before the revolution.

A popular object of films and stories about Odessa.

The next building after the Bristol Hotel is also a hotel, but from the beginning of the 19th century. Hôtel du Nord, the French negotiator Charles Sicard, a friend of the Duke of Richelieu. Pushkin also stayed at this hotel, as evidenced by commemorative plaques and a monument. A striking example of inns of that time is that the hotel occupied an entire block and has 3 courtyards.

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At the intersection with Grecheskaya Street there is a beautiful building of the Abaza Palace. Architect C. Othon. After the revolution, the building was the Art Museum, until this time.

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So, I am happy to tell you that you are already at the corner of Deribasovskaya Street.

The main street of Odessa, named after one of the founders of Odessa, Jose De Ribas, whose house was located on this street near the City garden. By the way, the garden itself was donated by José's brother, Félix De Ribas, to the city and its citizens "for the opportunity to walk under the shade of trees on a hot day."

Turning to Deribasovskaya Street, you will get a lot of pleasure. And you can finish your walk on Cathedral Square, or sit down at a table, choosing one of the restaurants in the city garden.

And if you would like continuing along Pushkinskaya Street you will get no less pleasure - you will see the famous Odessa Opera House, the Archaeological Museum and maybe you will get to Primorsky Boulevard with its Potemkin Stairs and the monument to Duke Richelieu. And at least you will see the Black sea.

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