Deribasovskaya Street: Odessa, Ukraine

On any walking tour around Old Odessa, you will no doubt come across Deribasovskaya Street, one of Odessa’s most famous streets.  The street was named in honour of the founder of Odessa, Joseph de Ribas, a commander of the Russian army.  De Ribas defeated the Turks at Khadzhibei, a Turkish fortress, and annexed the territory for the Russian empire.  With great ambition and initiative, he developed Odessa into a thriving city and it became the southern capital for Russia.

Sergey Utochkin Memorial

Leonid Utyosov Memorial

A little further down the path is a bench in which Leonid Utyosov sits and invites anyone to join him for a picture. Leonid Utyosov was a singer and actor, much loved by Odessans.  Lots of lovely young women take up his offer to pose for a picture, so the old guy must be pretty chuffed.

City Garden, Odessa

Next, we get to the City Garden.  This beautiful and green park in the city centre is popular with locals who come to enjoy the green and serene atmosphere.  This park was given to the city by de Ribas and his younger brother Felix and the two brothers planted the first tree in this park. In the past, local artists and craftsmen used to gather here to exhibit and sell their works, however they have since been moved to Cathedral Square.

Yes, it’s certainly worth strolling down Deribasovskaya Street as this is where the locals hang out.

Helen