It was nice to visit Odessa again after many years. Dave and I had a great time strolling through Odessa with friends. Odessa is one of the few regions in Ukraine that are inseparable from the Black Sea. We could feel the comfort and warmth of narrow streets, and marvel at the architectural creations of the old masters. Today Odessa is one of the most important economic centers of Ukraine, the third largest city after Kiev and Kharkov with a population of over 1 million people.
Each city has its own architectural treasure or quarter that has become its symbol. Odessa is proud to have several such symbols. The Potemkin Steps and the Monument to Duke de Richelieu are among them.
The Potemkin Steps descend from the Duke monument down to the Marine Passenger Terminal (Morskoy Voksal) and they are the front entrance to Odessa, Ukraine. The legendary 192 steps were a gift from Earl Vorontsov to his wife Elizaveta. They got their contemporary name after the success of the Soviet movie Battleship Potemkin.
