Potemkin Stairs is one of the unforgettable sights of Odessa, connecting the harbor and the city. Tourists traveling in Ukraine must visit this place to climb 192 steps, relax on 10 flights and enjoy the view from above.
The Potemkin Stairs were not built as a landmark, but to provide a convenient, beautiful and short route from the port to the city. But the architect's unusual plan and its precise implementation made the structure an architectural monument.
History of the Potemkin Stairs
The construction process was supervised by Count Mikhail Vorontsov and the architect Boffo, who developed the staircase project. In 1841, the construction was completed, and the news spread throughout the country and beyond. It consisted of 200 steps and 10 flights.
For a long time this building did not have a name. In different years it was Primorskaya, Vorontsovskaya, Richelievskaya, stairs of Nikolaevsky boulevard and Gigantskaya. She became Potemkin after 1955, when Sergei Eisenstein shot the famous film "Battleship Potemkin". In the frame, a baby carriage rolls down its steps.
In 1933, work was carried out to renovate the stairs. Its surface was changed to asphalt and pink gravel, but 8 steps were not restored. Now there are 192 of them, and at the top there is a monument to Duke - Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, the French duke de Richelieu, who contributed to the development of Odessa and turned it into a major port.
Description of the attraction
This landmark has an important feature created on the basis of an optical illusion: only the spans are visible from above, and steps from below. This is possible due to the expansion of spans and steps from top to bottom. The height of this architectural monument is 27 m, the length is 142 m.
The top of the stairs is located on Primorsky Boulevard, and the descent leads to the carriageway. To get near the passenger terminals of the Odessa port, you need to go to the underground passage. The stairs go down to the sea in a northeast direction, not south. Confusion among tourists often arises due to the peculiarities of the coastline.
Now you don't have to go through all the steps of the Potemkin Stairs, but climb to the top by funicular. It has been in operation since 1902, but the design was updated and changed several times. The new mechanism was installed in 2005. It consists of two wagons that can simultaneously carry up to 12 people.
It is interesting that many legends are associated with the Potemkin Stairs. For example, the jewels of Mishka Yaponchik, an Odessa raider, are buried under the steps, and smugglers' treasures are under the spans. At different times, people went down the stairs on skis, a car and a motorcycle. And now, locals gather there during the holidays to watch fireworks and fireworks. In 2015, the Potemkin Stairs received the status of "Treasure of European Culture".
Excursions and exact address
The exact address of the attraction: Potemkin Stairs, Odessa, Ukraine. Travel is possible by buses No. 110 and 155, trolleybus No. 10, route taxis No. 110, 120, 190 and 210. In all cases, you need to get to the stop "Morvokzal".
The territory of the Potemkin Stairs is a place for competitions every year. Anyone can take part in the run up the steps of the attraction. People often come to the monument with excursions, and the guides begin their story from the top of the stairs so that tourists can see and appreciate the architect's unusual idea.
