Card Odessa, 1981

This retrospective 1981 postcard presents a view of the historic center of Odesa, captured from the square near the famous Opera and Ballet Theater.

What is shown on the postcard

In the foreground, a detailed view shows a decorative cast-iron streetlamp of an antique design, mounted on the stone parapet of the theater’s stairs. In the middle ground, the roadway of Lanzheronivska Street is visible at its intersection with Rishelievska Street. Soviet passenger cars (Zhiguli) and a LAZ passenger bus are moving along the street. In the background on the left, the building of the former English Club (now the Museum of the Marine Fleet) with its distinct semicircular rotunda is visible, alongside other pre-revolutionary multi-story buildings to the right.

Historical note

The captured section of the square near the Opera House is one of the oldest urban development zones in Odesa. Teatralna Square was formed in the first half of the 19th century around the city’s first theater. The English Club building, visible in the background, was constructed in 1841–1842 according to the design of architect Giorgio Torricelli. At the time of the photograph in 1981, it housed the Museum of the Marine Fleet of the USSR, which opened in 1965.

Present day

Today, the architectural appearance of the square is largely preserved. The historic streetlamps near the Opera House remain one of the city’s signature features. The English Club building was severely damaged by fire in 2005 and has been undergoing restoration for a long time. The intersection of Lanzheronivska and Rishelievska streets remains a busy pedestrian and traffic zone in the historic center of Odesa.

Location (map)

Address: 1 Tchaikovsky Lane, Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine

Coordinates: 46.484900, 30.741200
(Google Maps)

Coordinate source: Steps of the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, looking towards Rishelievska Street.

Questions and answers

• What is depicted in the foreground of the postcard? The foreground of the postcard depicts a decorative cast-iron streetlamp of an antique design, mounted on the stone parapet of the Opera House steps.
• Which building is visible in the background on the left? In the background on the left, the historic building of the former English Club with a semicircular rotunda is visible; in 1981, it housed the Museum of the Marine Fleet.
• What transportation is visible on the street? Soviet passenger cars, including Zhiguli models, and a LAZ passenger bus are visible on Lanzheronivska Street.

See also

• Odesa postcards
• 1981 postcards

The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Odesa from 1981.