Odessa City Garden

Odessa city garden located in heart of old city, near famous street – Deribasovskaya. This garden is a small park for rest in shade of trees. This is a great place if you just wanted to sit in old town on a bench, look at walking people, or observe local sculptures. Around City Garden there are many popular restaurants, cafes and confectioneries. Check on map.

History of Garden 

Odessa City Garden is a place of accumulation of various bronze sculptures. All of them are dedicated to some episode, or to a person connected with our city. In addition, in the middle of park there is a large gazebo, where a brass band plays in summer, or musical groups perform. In front of gazebo stays an old marble fountain, with special illumination of water at night.

odessa city garden

Fountain and gazebo in Odessa City Garden

Previously, this garden was a private area that belonged to brothers de Ribas. Yes, Deribasovskaya Street is so named not by chance. The fact is that there was a source of water. Thanks to this, it was possible to plant trees and create a whole garden. Later, one young brother passed their garden plot to city for eternal free use. Since then, City Garden is open to anyone and included to any sightseeing tours as a place of must-see.

odessa city garden

Monument to the Chair

What to see in Odessa City Garden

Here are number of little city attractions:

The twelfth chair

Favorite photo-object of Russian-speaking tourists. It is a monument of widely popular in Soviet times book of Odessa writers “Twelve Chairs”. Heroes of that story hunted for chairs, in one of which were hidden treasure of diamonds. Main character, Ostap Bender, a noble crook, later became a household name, and book was repeatedly screened.

On this Chair are engraved various humorous utterances of Ostap Bender, who entered in wide everyday life of people who lived in Soviet Union. This is a kind of play of words, difficult to translate into other languages.

odessa city garden

Сomposition the Time – Odessa City Garden

Leonid Utesov

This man was once called official consul of Odessa. Leonid Utesov is a popular Soviet entertainer who performed songs in different genres. They spoke of him like that: he has no voice, but his voice knows all country. In form of bronze sculpture, he sits on a bench and smiles to one passing by. In a sense, it symbolizes irony and love of life. These traits were once traditionally attributed to people of Odessa. For some strange reason, tourists are very fond of rubbing his nose, making wishes.

odessa city garden

Monument to Utesov

Sergey Utochkin

A small sculpture depicting a man holding a paper airplane. An athlete, an extremer, a dreamer, this was this man. Tireless cyclist, who first move down Potemkin stairs, and second man in Russia, who climbed airplane into air. Sergei Utochkin was an urban legend with indomitable aspirations to set more and more records. Every citizen knew him, and his plane exhibited in the window of a large store on Richelieu Street as an advertisement to raise money for another flight.

odessa city garden

Love tree

Love tree

A small bronze tree, crown and fruits of which made in form of love hearts. Trunk of this tree is written with word of love in 65 languages. Little hearts growing on a tree symbolize a ripe love. All such hearts 210. The fact is that sculpture was installed in 2004, when city celebrated 210 years from the day of its foundation.

odessa city garden

Springtime

Odessa time

This composition represents a series of miniature sculptures located around a pillar with a clock on platform. According to author, turning whole platform, you hear music. Figures depict ordinary residents of Odessa at different times of life: from youth to old age. Loving couples are dancing, old man is praying, adult is playing violin. Cute cat and dog, as inalienable companions of man throughout life also stand here.

odessa city garden

Odessa City Garden

Sculptures of lions

Among green lawn in city garden, there are two sculptures of lions. One sculpture is a lioness with little toddlers. Second one is a lion male with prey at his feet. Once in Odessa there was a large number of private estates with large parks and sculptures. From 1920 such estates nationalized by Soviet regime, and any sculpture moved to public places. Thus, these lions appeared in city garden.