User:Eisjee/Culture of Odessa

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The culture of Odessa - the third-most populated city in Ukraine - is a mixture of influences from over 130 different nationalities that reside in the city. For summer tourists, the city is known for its 19th century architecture, a wide range of beaches such as the Arcadia Beach, and warm summer weather.

Potemkin Stairs (or 'Potemkin Steps')
The Potemkin Stairs is a 27-meter-high staircase that starts on the Prymorskyi Boulevard road in Odessa, Ukraine, and leads into the direction of the Black Sea. After the vast construction's completion in the year 1841, the staircase acted as an entrance from the seaside into the harbor of the city. The stairs consist of 192 steps with 10 landings. The Potemkin Stairs became a famous historical site after they were used as a location for a scene from Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 movie Battleship Potemkin.

Odessa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet
Opened in 1810, the Odessa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet is the oldest theater in Odessa, Ukraine. The theater is well-known for its unique, European architectural design on the outside of the theater, which was a specifically popular style between the 16th and 18th century. The inside of the theater's auditorium is covered in bright, golden walls, with velvet red seating.

Vorontsov Palace
The Vorontsov Palace is located at the end of the Prymorskyi Boulevard road in Odessa, Ukraine, and is also nearby of the Potemkin Stairs. In the 19th century, the palace was built and acted as the previous residence of former governor-general Mikhail Vorontsov. The palace also includes other attractions surrounding the former residence such as a fountain bowl above an ancient water tank and a large, open deck that encloses the building. Just as popular of a sight, is the nearby Belvedere monument of the Vorontsov Palace, from which people can get a better view of Odessa's seaside dock.

Bryndza Cheese
From the middle to late 18th century, the Greek community began to visit their neighboring Black Sea border in Odessa to expand commercial opportunities, such as the export of cereals. During this time, the settled Greek population began adapting their own traditional recipes around the native ingredients grown in Odessa. One of the influences in this region was goat cheese, such as Bryndza - a crumbly, saltier version of cheese as compared to a more commonly known Feta cheese. Bryndza can be located in a large variety of stalls at some of the city's food bazaars, such as the largest in Odessa, Pryvoz Market.

Khinkali
Since Ukraine and Georgia established political ties in the early 18th century, as of 2019, the Georgian population in Ukraine has grown to 35,000 people. However, Georgians traders have been coming to Odessa's food markets from before the 18th century. A particular Georgian dish that has stayed and continues to appear in restaurants across Odessa are Khinkali dumplings - soup dumplings, often filled with meat or cheese, and hand-tied into a knot shape on top. These dumplings have become a staple at Georgian restaurants in the region, usually served with Georgian wine to pair.