March 16, 2008
Musems and galleries
The Archeological museum
Odessa was hardly 30 years old, when it was decided to open there a museum. It was the first museum in our city - archeological, which nowadays attracts the tourists from all over the world In 2000 it became 175.
The Archeological museum is situated in Lanjeronovskaya Street, 4. in the building, specially built for the purpose by architect F. Gansiorovsky in 1883. The museum arose from the private collection of I.P. Blaramberg, the friend of A. S. Pushkin in 1825. It is renowned for the rich collection of the antic monuments of Ukraine and those of Ancient Egypt.
The Artistic museum
The Artistic museum in Sophievskaya Street, 5a was opened on the initiative of the Fine Arts Society in Odessa in 1899. The governor of the city G. Marazli had bought the ancient Pototsky's palace for the museum. The palace was built by architect F. Boffo in the style of Russian classicism. The gift of the St. Petersburg Artistic Academy constituted the base of the museum collection. Due to the donations and gifts, there appeared also the pictures of I. Aivasovsky, I, Repin, V. Serov and M. Vrubel. But the main possession of the museum was and still remains the collection of paintings of Southern Russia artists, who bad engraved the color of Odessa region - K. Kostandi, P. Nilus, T. Dvornikov and G. Golovkov.
The museum of Western and Eastern Art
The museum of Western and Eastern Art appeared in on the basis of the private collections, nationalized by Bolsheviks. It occupied the mansion in Pushkinskaya Street, built according to the project of architect L. Otton. Among the world famous pictures, presented in the museum, there are the canvases of Karavaggio 'Taking of Christ into custody", of F. Hals "Evangelist Luke" and "Evangelist Matthew", the series of the pictures of Genoa artist Allessandro Manjasko... In the Oriental section there arc exhibited [he works of Tibet, China, Japan, India, Iran artists of XVI - XX centuries.
The museum of History and Local Lore
The museum of History and Local Lore is situated in Gavannaya Street, 4, The building was created by architect F. Gonsiorovsky in 1876, The museum exposition reflects more than 200 years period from the his tory of our region. In the inner yard of the museum one can see the fragments of the monument to Katherin II and her associates, which earlier was situated in Ekaterininskaya square. But the greatest interest is provoked by the part of the museum, devoted to the heroic struggle of Odessa citizens against fascists in 1941.
The museum of the Marine Fleet
The museum of the Marine Fleet is situated in Lanjeronovskaya Street, 6. It occupies the house, built by architect Torriccelli. Before the October Revolution there was the English Club in the building. The exposition of the museum gives the opportunity to trace back the history of navigation on the Black Sea. from the first ship the "Odessa" to the space flotilla, consisting of ships "Jury Gagarin", "Vladimir Komarov" and others...
The building of the Literary museum
The building of the Literary museum (Lanjeronovskaya Street, 2) was created in the early fifties of the XIX century after the project of architect Dalaqua and was famous as the house of "Prince Gagarin". Before the Revolution there gathered the Literary-Artistic circle in the house, with I. Bunin and B. Zabotinsky performing also there, The "Salon Fzdebskogo" - the most significant exhibition, presenting the avant-garde art of Europe to our fellow-citizens - took place in the halls of the museum. The museum preserves the manuscripts, books and private things of the writers, which names are connected with our city - from A. Pushkin to Nobel Prize winners I. Bunin and I. Brodsky.
There is a brunch of the museum in Pushkinskaya Street, 13 (the former K. Sikara's Inn). Now it is the museum of A. S. Pushkin, as it was the place, where the Great Russian poet stopped on his arrival in Odessa.
The World Odessit Club
200 years ago people from all countries of the world - Russia, Greece, France and Italy - gathered in the Black Sea side steppes to found there a European town. From the very beginning it was a city of immigrants. Now it is an emigrants city as there is no continent in the world, where there didn't live the people, born under the smelling Odessa acacias, Ask any of them, now living somewhere in New- York or Moscow, Sydney or Munich, who he is - and you will sure hear; «I'm from Odessa!-.
The feeling of that informal spiritual fraternity inspired Michael Zvanetsky, the famous satirist and one of the most typical Odessa citizens, at the creation of an official fraternity. In such a way there appeared The world odessit club in 1990 - the public organization, which is to unite those, who feels to be an Odessa citizen, who loves Odessa and who wants to take part in its renascence, irrespective of their dwelling place, age, nationality and political convictions, The organization manages different meetings and exchange of the news. It renders assistance to the native city, helping to preserve its cultural and historical legacy. It supports the talented young people, who are able to continue the musical, painting, medical, scientific and marine traditions of Odessa.
Michael Zvanetsky became the President of the club. Eugene Golubovsky. - the famous Odessa journalist and editor of the club newspaper «International Odessa News», as well as Valery Hait, the former captain of the well-known Odessa KVN ( "The Club of the Merry and the Clever" TV program) team, who is nowadays the editor of the comic magazine
'The Fountain", became the vice-presidents. The members of the club and its council are presented by the people, well known in Odessa: manufactures, bankers, lawyers, doctors, scientists, musicians - the intellectual and cultural elite. The membership is also possible for those, who live now in Moscow or St. Petersburg, Germany or Austria, America or Australia. The condition of the admittance remains unchanged: the newcomer must have recommendations from at least two members of the club.
Now this place - the crossroad of Marazlievskaya and Bazarnaya streets is famous not only in Odessa. 'The people, being on visit in the native city, come here to recollect the good old times. Sometimes one can meet.here the honorable guests, who though being not born in Odessa, love the dry and come there on tour or with a social mission, with the matter of realization of their creative projects, as it was in the case of tamest Neizvestny, Rezo Gabriadze, Sergey Stadler and many others. The organization arranges various artistic competitions, festivals and exhibitions. The artists, and photographers from Odessa and sometimes from the other cities exhibit their works in the art gallery of the club. Here take place the presentations of the interesting books, edited in Odessa and conferences with the guests of Odessa.
It were also the club members, who organized "Jumorina" (the festival of humor or so called the Day of Laughter) in Odessa from 1991 up to 1995. The unveiling ceremony of the monument to the famous personage of many Odessa anecdotes - Rabinovich (the idea of Michael Zvanetsky, sculptor Rezo Gabriadze) was hold during one of the festivals, From that time, yearly, on the Day of Laughter (the 1st of April) there appears a new monument to one of the famous personages of Odessa folklore in the inner yard of the Literary Museum - to the Unborn Genius, to Fisherworaan Sonja fa personage from the popular old Odessa song), to Anthilopa- Gnu (the name of the car from the satirical novel "Golden Calf* by Ilph and Petrov), to Michael Zvanetsky, to Odessa-mamma... The building of the club is a constant location of the «Jumorina» press-center.
According to the tradition all the new works of Michael Zvanetsky arc read at first in the club.
Many books were edited with the assistance of The World Odessit Club - the verses of Vera Inber and Anatoly Fioletov, Jury Olesha and Jury Michalik, the memoirs of David Makarevsky and the collection "The Wreath to Mandelshtam». The club has established the newspaper «International Odessa News*. In 1997 it gave birth to the Odessa comic magazine «The Fountain», very month causing joy in the hearts of its readers. The new literary artistic almanac «Deribasovskaya-Richelievskaya» has gained the similar unchanging popularity in three years of its existence. Not long ago, the club provided itself with the own web site: www.odessitclub.org
As you see, The world odessit club lives - a sanguineous and saturated life. It has already its branch offices - in the USA, Germany and in Moscow. The main purpose of its activities is to unite all people, who loved, love and will love Odessa.
Odessa citizens, in all countries, unite!