Visiting Odessa, you’ll find that this city is completely something different from other cities of Ukraine. City of humor, art, infinite history and special culture… Buildings in the old part of Odessa were preserved their view after the World War II as it was before the War. Taking walk on the Odessa’s streets you won’t take away your camera, because every building, every street, and monuments are unique and worth to look at them.

There is no subway in Odessa, in spite of the large size of the city. Under the city and its environs there is large and unsystematic labyrinth at a depth from 4 meters up to 30-35 meters. Odessa underground tunnels (or Catacombs) were created nearly 200 years ago during mining of building materials. The depth Odessa Catacombs are one of the most famous all over the world, not only because of its cobweb, but its duration of 2, 500 km with hundreds of entrances, exits, caves and tunnels (for comparison duration of Rome Catacombs - 300 km, and Paris Catacombs - 500 km).

Even now the layout of the Odessa Catacombs has not been fully mapped, and the most tunnels have not been investigated.  It is unsafe and dangerous walking there without a guide, you’ll be easily lost. Since the fifties, nearly 150 people and two expedition groups were lost in the underground labyrinth.

During World War II, when German army occupied Odessa, the Soviet Military headquarters gave the order to organize the partisan resistance. And Odessa Catacombs served as the military staff and the shelter for the partisans group. The walls in Catacombs were painted with impellent slogans and foul language, like “A Life for a life, blood for a blood”.

Tourists have an opportunity to walk about the underground tunnels. The guide will escort you on exciting excursion of a depth of 12 meters. In Summer, air temperature in Odessa is about 30 degrees Celcium, so the underground walk will be refreshing and chilly, where the temperature never grows higher than +14C. Your guide will tell you the

history of the brave partisans, who "had to make the catacombs their home; they lived there for months, fell in love, struggled with fascist, and even gave birth to children”. Underground Museum also keeps the elements of utensil, which partisans held for life underground and for war outside.

If you are traveling by yourself, you can purchase a ticket for bus excursion to Catacombs just from the Railway station in Odessa. Article written by Marina Pristinskaya