Friday 27 July 2018

View of the steps from our coach window as we set of on our 'Panoramic Odesa' excursion.

From the bottom (which is wider) you only see the steps - from the top you only see the landings - creating an optical illusion.



Catherine the Great statue.



Religious wall sculpture.



Colourful building at the top of the steps.



Monument to the Duc de Richelieu.



Closer view.



Looking back towards the jetty.



The ticket office for the funicular at the top of the steps.



Setting off for our stroll down Pioners'ky Park.



Hotel De Versal facade.



Even more imposing facade of the Hotel Londonskaya.



Monument to Alexander Pushkin in front of City Hall.



Odesa City Hall.



Undergoing restoration is the house where the writer of  'The Hare with Amber Eyes' once lived.



British cannon from the Crimean War.



Nearby sculpture.



Note the EU Flag - a bit premature??



Pushkin's Statue.



Maritime Building.



Closeup of the harpoon.



Street sign showing distances to various places.



Walking up the tree-lined boulevard.



Odesa Archaeological Museum.



Another view of the Archaeological Museum.



Setting off to meet our coaches......



... up Odesa's walk of fame.



Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre.



German Consulate.



Opera and Ballet Theatre.



Memorial to the defenders of Odesa.



Sculpture at the Opera House entrance.



Local Architecture.

 

Memorial to actor Semyon Krupnik.



Statue in the grounds of the Transfiguration Cathedral



Should I go in or not ???



Inside the Cathedral.



The Altar.



Ceiling.



Prince Michael Vorontsov statue.



One for Kay - Prospekt Gagarina. Named after Yuri Gagarin.



Odesa Kinostudiya - Film Studio.



Ferris wheel in the park.



Entrance to the Catacombs.



Saw used to cut the soft sandstone.

 

Living area inside.



"Blood for Blood, Death for Death".



"Death to the German Occupiers".









Hospital area.



Mural in the reception/gift chop.



Soviet propaganda posters.



Don't mess with Grandma!!!



Fidel Castro visiting the Catacombs.



Weapons outside the catacombs - the wheeled vehicle is an Afghan-era BTR personnel carrier!



The Soviets knew how to do monuments.