SoftPress Publishing, Kyiv has a regional office all over Ukraine. Last Saturday (for Ukrainians Saturdays are working days) we, Ellina Shnourko-Tabakova (Co-founder and managing partner SoftPress, hitech, ITware, 4th Sector), Vladimir Tabakov (partner and editorial-director) and I visit SoftPress's Odessa Office. Svetlana Mateychuk (Director of MIM Office) gave us a very warm welcome and, as this was my first visit in Odessa, she organized a First class tour to see all the main attraction of Odessa. She had asked well-known figure and writer in Odessa region Valentina Kovach to give us a very special tour. Even so I couldn't understand her poetry, it was a pleasure to watch her. The theatrical movements, her eyes, face, arms and hands and the whole body and listen to her melodic and sometimes dramatic voice. However, I had a very talented translator, Anastasia, who tried her best to translate Valentina's lecture and recitation from poetry related to the places we visit.
I came to Odessa with the impression that Odessa must be a very old city, breathing the history of the last 2.500 years or so, reaching back to the Greeks. Over this thousands of years it was build on one of the most beautiful places on the black sea. Of course, I have heard about what Germans and allies Romanian have done in WW2 to the people of Odessa. But also, that it has re-obtain its importants and beauty since.
However, now I know Odessa is only 212 years old, it represents a blend from people from 112 countries, many westerners and southerners played an important role and the founding legends are interesting to listen too, but very much in doubt. It is a lively place and people fun-loving
spicy, sometimes sarcastic but open an friendly people.
From left: Our 'Narrator & Poet' Valentina Kovach, Anastasia V. translating and I
Park on Deribasovskaya street, named after Major General José de Ribas, first governor of Odessa a Spaniard in Russian service
Count Mihail Vorontsov Monoment. He was governor-general 1825 - 1856 of New Russia, the southern provinces of the Russia empire and founder of Odessa
Potemkin Stears (famous from Sergei Eisensteins Movie 'The Batteleship Potemkin')
Piously-Preobrazhenskiy cathedral
Photo: Jewgienij Bal 'Odessa Opera House'
A ship gets towboated into the seaport of Odessa
More Information on Odessa at Wikipedia EN DE
Enlish language Odessa Travelguide
Hinweis:
Heute eröffnet in Berlin eine Ausstellung Ukrainischer Kunst in der Gallery Bereznitsky 'The Ukrainian Pavilion', Berlin 20. Juni 2007 - 25. Juli 2007 als inoffizielle 'Ergänzung' zu den diesjährigen Arbeiten auf der Biennale in Venedig mit Arbeiten von Ilya Chichkan, Oksana Pasaiko, Alexander Petlura, R.E.P. Group ... mehr
