At least that’s what residents of Odesa claim. And they have grounds for that. When Odesa was being founded over 200 years ago, energetic and brave representatives of many nations came from different places to build the city. The French duke de Richelieu, a grandson of the famous French Cardinal, and later the prime minister of France, is called one of the fathers of the city by its residents. There is a monument to the duke in the central square of Odesa. Here one can see Ukrainians, Russians, Moldavians, Greeks, bulgarians, Jews, people from France, England and many others. This ethnic “cocktail” created the unique character of the city. They even have their own dialect here which cannot be confused with any other. Today, Odesa is Ukraine’s largest port. As for the entertainment industry, it has no equal in Ukraine. Aesthetes will be amazed at the city’s theaters, concerts and splendid museum collections. A wide range of sport and entertainment centers, restaurants, casinos and discotheques concentrated on the coastline will create a festive mood. Still, Odesa’s biggest treasure
is its people. Their optimism and effervescent humor earned the city a reputation as the capital of laughter. Every year holidays of humor as well as music and art festivals imbue everyone with energy of joy. And the celebration of the Day of the City at the beginning of September adds to this.
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