ODESSA ODESSA IS THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN UKRAINE LOCATED IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSIONS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF ODESSA, BUT THE MOST RELIABLE THAT THE TOWN WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF THE ANCIENT GREEK COLONY OF ODESSOS. ODESSA ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF UNOFFICIAL POPULAR NAMES: ODESSA-MOTHER, PEARL OF THE BLACK SEA, PEARL NEAR THE SEA, SOUTH PALMIRA, SOUTH CAPITAL. LIKE ANY SEASIDE CITY, ODESSA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS BEACHES, THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM, AND THE COASTLINE FROM LANZHERON TO THE GREAT FOUNTAIN IS, IN FACT, ONE CONTINUOUS CITY BEACH. ODESSA IS THE LARGEST SEAPORT OF UKRAINE TRANSPORTING GRAIN, SUGAR, COAL, OIL PRODUCTS, CEMENT, METALS, PRODUCTS OF THE MACHINE -BUILDING INDUSTRY. THE CITY IS ALSO A MAJOR RAILWAY CENTER. THE RESORT AREA OF ODESSA STRETCHES FOR TENS OF KILOMETERS ALONG THE BLACK SEA COAST. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR RESORT AND ENTERTAINMEN T DISTRICTS OF ODESSA IS ARCADIA. ODESSA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONNECTS ODESSA WITH VIENNA, TEL AVIV, SHARM EL SHEIKH, ISTANBUL, ANKARA, WARSAW, DUBAI, PRAGUE, KYIV. THE ARCHITECTURE OF ODESSA IS REPRESENTED MAINLY BY BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED IN THE STYLES OF NEOCLASSICISM, MODERNISM, POSTMODER NISM, CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE 19TH -20TH CENTURIES. THE HISTORICAL CENTER OF ODESSA IS LISTED IN THE PRELIMINARY UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST. ODESSA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS PICTURESQUE STREETS AND YARDS. IN THE CITY THERE ARE A LOT OF MONUMENTS, INCLUDING VERY UNUSUAL ONES. ODESSA IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL CENTERS OF UKRAINE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THEATERS AND MUSEUMS THAT HAVE A LONG HISTORY. THERE ARE MANY ACTORS, WRITERS, ARTISTS WERE BORN AND GREW IN THIS CITY. THE CITY DAY OF ODESSA IS CELEBRATED ON SEPTEMBER 2. CELEBRATIONS USUALLY LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THE MAIN EVENTS TAKE PLACE ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER. DERYBASIVSKA STREET. THIS FAMOUS PEDESTRIAN STREET, GLORIFIED BY POETS AND WRITERS, IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF ODESSA. NAMED AFT ER THE FIRST ODESSA MAYOR I. DERIBAS, IT IS BUILT UP BY LOW-RISE BUILDINGS OF THE 19TH CENTURY, THE GROUND FLOORS OF WHICH ARE OCCUPIED BY NUMEROUS SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, AND CAFES. PRYMORSKYI (SEASIDE) BOULEVARD - ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STREETS IN ODESSA, A FAVORITE PLACE FOR WALKS OF LOCALS AND TOURISTS. THE BOULEVARD RUNS PARALLEL TO THE SEASHORE. THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF PRYMORSKYI BOULEVARD IS POTEMKIN STAIRS (1841) COUNTING 192 STEPS, DESCENDING TO ODESSA MARINE PASSENGER TERMINAL. THERE IS A FUNICULAR OPERATING NEARBY. OPERA HOUSE (1887). THE RICHLY DECORATED BUILDING OF ODESSA NATIONAL ACADEMIC THEATER OF OPERA AND BALLET, CONSTRUCTED IN THE RENAISSANCE STYLE WITH BAROQUE ELEMENTS, IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD.