Ukraine

Odesa

WHS Score 3.22
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Votes 28 Average 3.55
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Votes for Odesa

1.0

  • Luis Filipe Gaspar

2.0

  • Solivagant

2.5

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • CugelVance
  • WalGra
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

3.0

  • Cholden324
  • GithaK
  • Ilya Burlak
  • Jakubmarin
  • Philipp Leu
  • Szucs Tamas
  • Zoë Sheng

3.5

  • Adrian Turtschi
  • Dimitar Krastev
  • Hanming
  • Timothy C Easton

4.0

  • Krijn
  • Nick M
  • nicku

4.5

  • Malgorzata Kopczynska

5.0

  • Cezar Grozavu
  • frizzle
  • GZ
  • Rahelka
  • Vernon Prieto
  • Yamen
  • Yevhen Ivanovych

The historic center of Odesa represents an intact example of 19th-century Eastern European urban planning and architecture.

The city’s development was made possible by its success as a military and commercial Black Sea port. Its fast pace of growth and multicultural identity, due to its location at the border of Europe and Asia, has led to a variety of architectural styles being used. The property comprises an ensemble of heterogenous buildings and monuments and the port.

Community Perspective: the city has a Mediterranean feel to it, with cultural monuments and buildings in many different styles and the Potemkin Stairs as its best-known landmark.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
The Historic Centre of Odesa (ID: 1703)
Country
Ukraine
Status
Inscribed 2023 Site history
History of Odesa
2023: In Danger
Directly in Danger
2023: Inscribed
Inscribed
In Danger
Directly in Danger Since 2023
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • ii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
News Article
  • Feb. 2, 2025 rferl.org — Russian Missile Attack Injures 7 In Odesa, Causes Serious Damage To Historic City Center
  • July 23, 2023 unesco.org — Odesa: UNESCO strongly condemns attack on World Heritage property

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Urban landscape: Maritime
Travel Information
Red Zone Travel Advisory
Red Zone Travel Advisory
Ukraine fully off-limits
Recent Connections
View all (27) .
Connections of Odesa
Geography
  • Black Sea
    on the north-western shore of the Black Sea
Trivia
History
  • Ancient Greek colonies
    "Odesa was the site of a large Greek settlement no later than the middle of the 6th century BC (a necropolis from the 5th–3rd centuries BC has long been known in this area). Some scholars believe it to have been a trade settlement established by the Greek city of Histria." (wiki)

    See commons.wikimedia.org

  • Queens and Empresses
    Catherine II: "The city was founded in 1794 by a strategic decision of the Empress Catherine II to build a warm-water port following the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish war of 1787-1792." (Official description)
  • Medici lions
    At the Vorontsov Palace
Architecture
  • Art Nouveau
    Falz-Fein House (and others)

    See www.lonelyplanet.com

  • Italian Architects outside Italy
    "Designed by renowned architects and engineers, many from Italy in the early years" (AB ev) + "buildings built by architects such as the Italian Francesco Boffo, who in early 19th-century built a palace and colonnade for the Governor of Odesa, Prince Mikhail Vorontsov, the Potocki Palace and many other public buildings." (wiki)
  • Modern Urban Planning
    "Odesa, through its urban planning and built heritage" (Brief description)
Damaged
  • Damaged in World War II
    "The city also suffered some severe damages and many casualties during the Second World War." (AB ev)
  • Damaged in War since WWII
    During Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022-2023): "On 23 July 2022, the seaport in Odesa was hit by the missiles. According to the nomination dossier, five damaged sites have been detected and identified. Two of them involve the Vorontsov Palace .... The analysis did not reveal any severe structural damages, only breakage of windows and glass rooftop." (AB ev), plus on 23 July damage to the historic Transfiguration Cathedral (see link)

    See www.reuters.com

World Heritage Process
Human Activity
Constructions
  • Theatres and Opera Houses
    the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre
  • Lighthouses
    Vorontsov Lighthouse, since 1862: "The lighthouse is connected with the port's shoreline by a long stone causeway and jetty, which protect the port from the southern high seas."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Funiculars
    Potemkin Stairs: "On the left side of the stairs, a funicular railway was built in 1906 to transport people up and down instead of walking. After 73 years of operation (with breaks caused by revolution and war), the funicular was replaced by an escalator in 1970.[2] The escalator was in turn closed in 1997 but a new funicular was opened on 2 September 2005." (wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Catacombs
    "the main building material was local shell rock cut into blocks, quarried in the traditional manner from quarries around the city. Natural conditions and stone quarrying within the city led to the creation of a labyrinth of underground tunnels, known as “catacombs” or “mines”. Their presence can affect structures and limit the height of buildings." (AB eval). Numerous references in the Nom file. NOTE: the tourist entry part is not in the core zone, but the catacombs extend under the inscribed area.

    See www.atlasobscura.com

WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
Visiting conditions
WHS Names
  • Name changes
    Upon inscription and as suggested by ICOMOS: from "The historic center of the port city of Odesa" to "The Historic Centre of Odesa"
  • Named after Adolf Hitler
    "Catherine Square, where the monument to the empress previously stood, has been called Karl Marx Square and Adolf Hitler Square within living memory" (see link)

    See www.google.com

18
News
rferl.org 02/02/2025
Russian Missile Attack Injures 7 I…
unesco.org 07/23/2023
Odesa: UNESCO strongly condemns at…

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 28/10/22.

Tsunami

Odesa

Odesa (Inscribed)

Odesa by Tsunami

I have been to Odesa twice…in 2004 and 2010.

Most Ukrainians would agree that Odesa today has two centers. One is by the port area and the other is an area called Arcadia, the largest summer party / beach resort in Ukraine. But this nomination of course has to do with the former, the historic center.

But Odesa (even just the historic center) does not feel like a city with many cultural monuments in unified style like, say, Lviv does. Like Varna (Odessos in Greek) in Bulgaria, Odesa was a port city settled by the Greeks and has developed for centuries with an international flair. As such, it is nominated as a multi-faceted port city, which makes good sense, and you can find cultural monuments and buildings in many different styles, among businesses as usual in the historic center, that also includes a fair share of American fast food restaurants. 

I would say the central intersection of the historic center is at Derybasivska St, the city’s main thoroughfare (often pedestrians only), that runs east-west, and Katerynynska street that runs north-south. Walking on the latter north from the intersection, you turn north-east at the large statue of Catherine the Great, go past the statue of Duke of Richelieu, now the city’s symbol, and go down the Potemkin Stairs to reach the port.

I’m all for inscribing Odesa asap to safeguard it, even though it's not likely that it would work.

But what I’m hearing is truly …

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 02/12/19.

Zoë Sheng

Odesa

Odesa (Inscribed)

Odesa by Zoë Sheng

I actually didn't plan on going to Odessa. I love Kiev and spent a week there a few years ago almost feeling like a resident living in an apartment at the golden gate and leaving a coin at Panteleimon every morning on my way out. From Kiev I wanted to take the train to Tiraspol (Transnistria) but it was already sold out. Kind of surprising really but instead I took a flight to Odessa and took the train onward from there after a day looking at the town. It was better than the long train journey.

I believe there are already way too many "historic centers" on the WH list. It's maybe unfair to Odessa because some historic centers around Europe suck and got their status earlier when no comparison studies were requested or made, because Odessa is nice to spend time in and check out the buildings while just having a nice relaxing day to walk around, have some food and drinks, well, the typical "old town" affair I suppose. To quote Wikipedia: "Its historical architecture has a style more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings are built in a mixture of different styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist.." It was also mostly spared in WW2 and retains the original buildings. Probably should be a WHS a couple of decades ago.

Don't forget to visit the Pushkin museum.

Keep reading 0 comments