Europe

[Visited: May 2023]

My first venture into Ukraine during the Russian invasion was to Odesa. The bus from Chisinau (mostly female passengers) turns out to be an easy affair: apart from a long stop at the border, the going is easy. I am inevitably aware that I am entering a country at war. What strikes me most, is the endless amount of trucks driving the road - one of the gateways from the rest of Europe into Ukraine, and the important port of Odesa. We arrive more than an hour late, and I go straight to the train station to inquire about onward travel. I notice groups of soldiers, and cannot help but wonder where they are going, where they have been, and what they have seen. I walk into the city centre, and it soon becomes clear that the fame of Odesa as an elegant city is wholly deserved. After leaving my bag I am out on the street again, and start cruising the city centre before the sun sets. It is just to get my first impressions: I know I will do more in-depth explorations the next day, and I cannot wait for the sun to rise again. Meanwhile, I make a study of the places I want to see.
It is still early when I start rambling. That morning, Odesa has been attacked by Russian missiles, and one person has died. I have completely missed the air alarms. Outside, there is very little to remind me that a war is going on in this country. Life seems to be going on as it always has. Oh yes, there are the military posters, slogans on walls, and a multitude of flags either hanging from buildings or painted on walls. Then, while walking towards Potemkin Stairs, I come to more solid proof: the area between city and coast has been closed off. There are signs that pictures are not allowed. I walk to the Old Corner of Odesa, a bridge spanning a cobble stone street, with gazebo and gryphon statue - the Teschyn bridge is also closed. Odesa is much older than what I see: the ancient Greeks already established a settlement here. I walk along the closed park, take a different street to walk back. I try to visit several museums; most are closed, or are only partly open. At the Museum of Literature, before enjoying their Sculpture Garden, I offer my book The Long Road to Cullaville to the director, who gladly accepts the donation. She says it is the first English-language book in their collection.
Next, I walk to the nearby Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the masterpiece of a city of beautiful architecture. The first building burned down in the 19th century, and the current version was designed by Austrian architects. A square to the east with a fountain makes it stand out even more. I take my time to walk around the building, with statues, busts, columns and the inevitable Ukrainian flag. Unfortunately, no performances are scheduled during my stay - but I already have plenty of reasons to come back to this city anyway: when the war is over, and it is fully accessible. I continue roaming around the city, see the City Garden again, the monumental buildings that gave it World Heritage status just a few months before to recognise its historic and aesthetic value, in an effort to protect it agains the ravages of war. I walk the Stairs of Love, I see the cathedral, a monument for the legendary bribe that made czar Paul invest in the development of the city (the inhabitants offered him oranges which he had never tasted before). After visiting the Museum of Fine Arts, whose collection is in hiding and where now works of young Odesan artists are on display, I make a long walk through other neighbourhoods, like Moldavanka, and eventually come back to the city centre itself which I now start to know. Odesa, I hope you can soon live in peace again, open up the entire city, and let your visitors enjoy your beauty even more.

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Odesa impressions (Ukraine)

Odesa impressions > Ukraine > Europe

[Visited: May 2023]

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