A 1981 Soviet souvenir postcard depicting the famous Potemkin Stairs in Odesa, which connect the historical city center with Primorska Street and the port.
What is shown on the postcard
The postcard shows a perspective view looking up the monumental staircase. A few pedestrians are walking up and down the stairs. Green tree canopies are visible on both sides of the flights. At the top of the stairs, on Primorsky Boulevard, semi-circular historical buildings and the Monument to Duke de Richelieu in the distance can be seen. The word ‘Одесса’ is printed in the upper right corner.
Historical note
Designed in the 1830s by architects Francesco Boffo and Georgy Melnikov, the staircase was completed in 1841. Originally consisting of 200 steps, the eight lowest steps were covered during the expansion of the port area. The structure achieved worldwide fame following Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film ‘Battleship Potemkin’, after which it was officially named.
Present day
The Potemkin Stairs remain one of Odesa’s primary landmarks and a key architectural monument of the 19th century. A major restoration of its structure and grey granite steps was completed in 2016–2017. The site is open to pedestrians and serves as a symbol of the city.
Location (map)
Address: Potemkin Stairs, Primorsky Boulevard, Odesa, Ukraine
Coordinates: 46.488188, 30.742055
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the center of the Potemkin Stairs.
Questions and answers
- How many steps do the stairs have? At the time of the photo in 1981 and today, the stairs have 192 steps, as the 8 original bottom steps were covered during the construction of Primorska Street.
- Who designed the Potemkin Stairs? The monumental staircase was designed by architects Francesco Boffo and Georgy Melnikov.
- Why was the staircase named after Potemkin? The stairs were named Potemkin in honor of Sergei Eisenstein’s famous 1925 movie ‘Battleship Potemkin’.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Odesa from 1981.
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