I did get some stuff done after emerging from the catacombs as well. Odesa is a really beautiful city for a city that was occupied by both the Nazis and the Soviets, two groups not known for their architecture. The city managed to avoid getting destroyed like some other Ukrainian cities were under the Nazis despite plans to level the city by placing explosives in key locations in the city's catacombs. That means that most of the older buildings (older being relative since the city itself is only about 217 years old) are still around, giving the city an air of St. Petersburg. Of course there are Soviet style flat blocks around the city, but they're new and didn't replace the old buildings.
Above, you can see WWII memorial of the city. The second photo there is a monument to especially brave heroes of the defense of the city. Interestingly, one of the duties of the school kids is to participate in the Youth Honor Guard (we were there too early to see them in action, so I have to use a stock photo, sorry) which means that they stand guard around the Eternal Flame. I can't decide what I think about the fact that school kids have to do this in Odesa, but it's certainly interesting.
I also visited the Literature Museum and the Odesa Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Saviour's Transfiguration. The Odesa Cathedral was rebuilt and recently restored after being destroyed under Stalin. The City of Odesa itself did not expend any tax payer dollars to do this; it was entirely financed by the community voluntarily, which I think is pretty cool. The Literature Museum was seriously cool. It chronicles the history of the Odesa literature scene, which is surprisingly extensive. Chekov kept a house in semi-nearby Yalta and many other authors had summer places here or served nearby during the Russo-Turkish War. The entire thing is in Russian, which is a bit difficult since that is not a language I speak, but the museum was still really interesting. I always think its cool to see original editions of famous works of literature or newspapers featuring articles or editorials written by people I've studied. Quirky though it was, the Literature Museum was a highlight of the city
Finally, I got the opportunity to attend the Opera in Odesa. This was perhaps not among my best ideas. The production was La Traviata and all I can say is that the music was great, but we kind of knew that already. The set was legitimately two dimensional and did not move, which is an issue for an opera requiring moving set pieces. The singers did not project either. Which is straight up weird for opera. I get that it's at best a second rate opera house, but I've built better stuff for my school. Let me reiterate that: I have built better sets for a High School than the ones I saw in a professional Opera House. Yeah. The building itself was actually quite pretty (In case you can't tell yet, I'm a big fan of Odesan architecture), so I'll leave you with some pictures of the exterior and the theater area.
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