Ask a question and discuss Odessa at the 2odessa message board
Childrens' Palace
From 2odessa.com The most comprehensive guide to Odessa, Ukraine
46° 29' 27" N, 30° 44' 19" E
| ||||||||||||
    The Plaque says: The young intelligence scout and guerrilla fighter Yakov Gordienko, killed in June 1942, studied in this school.  | ||||||||||||
 |
The Childrens' Palace is the flashing "1" on the top map.
The Vorontsov's Palace is a 19th century palace and colonnade in Odessa, Ukraine, at the end of the Primorsky Boulevard pedestrian walkway. The buildings were built between 1827 to 1830 by the Sardinian architect Franz Karlowicz Boffo for Prince Mikhail S. Vorontsov, one of the governor-generals of the Odessa region. Vorontsov chose to build his city palace on the spot where the former governor general Richelieu's humble house had once stood. Vorontsov was so impressed with Boffo's work, that he contracted Boffo to design the Potemkin Stairs.[1][2][3]
Contents |
History of Childrens' Palace
Also named Vorontsov Palace.
On 10 April 1854, during the Crimean War, a French-English squadron bombarded Odessa. The squadron hit directly on the palace and badly damaged it.
When Vorontsov learned about the bombardment of Odessa, he wrote "cover the rare books", which were considered the main treasure of palace.[4]
During the Civil War, in March, 1917 the communists raised the Red Flag above the palace.[4]
In 1906 it became an engineering school. During this time, next to the former palace was Lloyd's Travel Agency where the city's elite could purchase tickets for their trips abroad.[5]
In 1917 the building was the headquarters of the Soviet Red Guards, and in March 1917 the first Soviet of Workers' and Sailors' Deputies met in the building.[6]
In 1932 Jose Raoult Capablanca, a world famous Chess player, won a chess championship in the palace. After this the palace was used for young children to play chess and checkers.[4]
On 31 December, 1936 the palace became the children's palace for young pioneers (a state children's organization similar to scouting).[4]
The present day palace is only the front part of the original structure, the less valuable part of the complex, the Orlov wing was torn down. The Orlov wing was mainly apartments and outbuildings--nicknamed the "Orlovsky outhouse", it stretched from today's Mother-in-Law's Bridge.[7][3]
In the second-half of the 20th century, the palace has had two fires.[3]
In 1994 sculptor Mikhail Reva built a fountain called "Day and Night" in the courtyard. Unfortunately, the fountain hasn't had any water since 1999.[3]
World War Two and Yakov Gordienko
In World War Two the building was severely damaged by the occupying Nazis.
After the war, it was named in memory of sixteen-year-old Young Communist League member Yakov Gordienko (Иаков). Yakov was an informant for the resistance in the nearby village of Nerubaiskoy during the Nazi occupation of Odessa.
Yakov informed the resistance about the timetable of a train carrying high ranking nazi officials. The resistance then derailed the train.
Yakov also informed the resistance of a creation of a large fuel dump and found out the time and the route of a planned march of the Nazis to Nikolaev. Because of this information, Soviet fighter planes carried out an effective surprise raid.
Acting on information from a traitor, in February and March 1942 the Nazis captured most of Yakov's detachment. After months of torture and interrogation, in June Yakov was shot and killed.
Construction
The palace and colonnade are built in Russian classic style. Each facade of the palace is unique.
The side facing the boulevard and the Black Sea has a four-column porch with Ionic columns (Ionic architecture is one of the three orders invented by the Greeks. Its distinguishing feature is a capital (top of column) with a spiral scroll-like ornament).
The entrance side has a walkway with Doric columns (Doric architecture is the oldest and simplest of the three orders of architecture used by the Greeks).
Entrance to the palace
2002 Note: If Alla is working at the entrance, she may give you a tour of the palace.
The palace has two floors. The intricate ceiling murals and crystal chandeliers, found in every room on the first floor, are majestically splendid. There is a special Turkish room with more inscriptions in Turkish.
Ten column crescent colonnade
The ten column crescent colonnade is separate from the palace and stands on a precipice, providing a panoramic view of the entire bay and the industrial port.
Photos
Ten column crescent colonnade |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Statute inside the palace |
 |
 |
Wedding photos at the palace |
Wedding photos at the palace |
Wedding photos at the palace |
Wedding photos at the palace |
Outside of the entrance is two inscriptions in Turkish. |
On the south side of the children's palace, under the porch, are two plaques, one above the other: First: The first Council of Odessa Workers' Deputies was stationed here in 1917. Second: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Architecture Monument Palace, 1826 The building is protected by the state of Ukraine Any damage is punishable by law |
Notes
- ^ Herlihy, Patricia (1987, 1991). Odessa: A History, 1794-1914. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-916458-15-6, hardcover; ISBN 0-916458-43-1, paperback reprint. p. 133, 337
- ^ Rhinelander, Anthony L. H. (1990). Prince Michael Vorontsov: Viceroy to the Tsar. Montreal, Quebec; Kingston, Ontario: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 0-7735-0747-7. p. 119.
- ^ a b c d Karakina, Yelena; Tatyana Samoilova, Anna Ishchenko (2004). Touring Odessa. BDRUK. ISBN 966-8137-01-9. p. 39 The main corpus was erected in 1824-27, and already in 1828 splendid balls and celebrations took place inside. Construction was completed in 1829.
- ^ a b c d Vorontsov Palace at Russian Wikipedia
- ^ Herlihy p. 263
- ^ Kononova, G. (1984). Odessa: A Guide. Moscow: Raduga Publishers. p. 47.
- ^ Odessa, An Almanac
Continue your virtual tour by walking to the Building with an optical illusion.
|
